Faction before blood?
by forgetmenot55
Summary: During the aptitude test, Beatrice discovered that her results were inconclusive. She decided to change her entire life and join Dauntless. Little did she know, how extremely her life will be changed. I do not own any part of Divergent Trilogy. All rights belong to Veronica Roth.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Divergent Trilogy. All rights belong to Veronica Roth

 **Chapter 1**

 _I was going to my new home. But to be honest, I am not sure if I can call that a random place, where I will be surrounded by random people. The last three days were a real nightmare. I was struggling with my duties and needs. I felt that I have never fit in there. I was pretending that I belonged to Abnegation, but deep down inside I knew that it wasn't true. Who knows, maybe the inconclusive results were just a sort of helping hand. If my results were different, I would end up in Abnegation, spending there the rest of my boring life. Who would like to live like that? My inner monologue was interrupted by a wild scream of my new colleagues, who started to jump out of the train. In that moment, I realized that it was the only way to get out of this damn train. Then I heard a voice of a girl, who had introduced herself as Christina._

"Wanna jump together on my count?"– she asked me.

I just nodded and we jumped out of still running train.

"Wow, that was the craziest thing I have ever done so far" – I said aloud and smiled to Christina.

 _Christina smiled me back, but she had no chance to answer, because in the same time we saw a tall and well-build guy, who was approaching to us. He was really intimidating. For the first time in my life, I felt a strange feeling. It was a mix of curiosity, shyness and fascination. A thousand thoughts were crossing my mind, when I heard a very manly voice._

"What are you staring at initiate? ".

Yup, that was he and what is more, the question was addressed to me.

"I, I'm just" – I murmured.

"If your ability to fight is the same as your ability to speak, you'll be soon factionless" – he retorted.

"Stay in the line".

 _I listened to him with no words. What should I say? Nothing to add. I have just introduced myself as a moron from Abnegation. I don't know why, but I have this rare skill to make a fool of myself._

"My name is Eric and I'm one of the leaders here in Dauntless".

 _At least he introduced himself properly – I thought to myself._

"If you want to be Dauntless, the only way which leads you to our compound is here" – he added.

 _Here means where? Of course, hole in the roof, stupid me._

"What is on the bottom? Water?" – the Erudite guy asked him.

"You'll see"- said Eric.

"So, who's gonna jump first".

"Me" – _I have already surprised myself._

 _Facial expression of my new friends were priceless. Eric looked surprised as well. I think, that he was questioning my decision and he couldn't have believed that I wanted to jump as first. Who cares? I had to just get my shit together and act as I haven't had any second thought._

"I was staring at you and I won't be factionless" – I said to Eric and jumped as soon as I had said it.

 **Eric POV**

 _So here I am, the Dauntless leader. That was my dream and goal. Unfortunately, I was asked to take part in training of initiates. I am not happy about it, but I have a hidden mission. I have to hunt the people, who are a threat to our system. We call them Divergents. Jeannine Matthews has a suspicion that most of them used to live in other factions. She thinks, that it is extremely difficult to be Divergent and live in Dauntless secretly. This is a reason why, I'm gonna trace them one after another. The group of people who jumped out of the train was at first sight nothing than ordinary. Some Candors, some Erudites, no Amities and surprisingly one Stiff. I have no fucking idea, why she is staring at me like that. Apparently, I must shake her up and send her a message, that I am not an object to analyze. I think that she has understood it, because she looks a little bit scared, or maybe not, since she has already decided to jump as first. To make myself more amazed, she told me that she would not be factionless. Poor Stiff, she has no idea with who she has just messed with._


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for following and one nice review This chapter was written some days ago, so I decided to check it and post it. I will try to update the story at least once a week. By the way, English is not my mother tongue, so I'm sorry in advance for any mistakes.

 **Chapter 2**

 _In 50 seconds later I was in the middle of a huge net. The guy, who helped me to get out of it was named Four. He though, that I had been pushed. I had a chance to pick a new name. It was a good idea. New life, new name, new friends…I chose Tris. It was shorter version of my real name but more in Dauntless style._

"Alright listen up" – that was Eric again.

"Four will be responsible for training of the transfers, whereas Lauren will take care of Dauntless born. I will be the supervisor of both groups. Four will show you around and lead you to your dorms. After that, you will change and all the girls will show up in the infirmary. Dinner is at 8.00 p.m. Any questions?".

"Why only girls have to go to the infirmary?" – Christina asked.

"As I thought, the first question is always from Candor. Well, first of all, because it's an order and second to make sure that your sex life will be as safe as possible".

 _In that moment, I froze and blushed. I think he noticed it, because he smirked and added._

"I assume that not all of you will be sexually active here, but..."

"Stiff for example" – A guy from Candor interrupted his speech.

"What did you say" – Eric asked him in specific way.

"I, I just wondering, what kind of idiot would like to have sex with Stiff ?" – he answered.

 _I felt more red than before and I heard whispering and weird sounds like silent laughing._

"What's your name" – asked Eric

"Peter"

"Ok. Peter. The rule is simple. When I speak, you shut up your mouth. By the way, do you know who Apollo was"?

"The Greek God, the most handsome of all the other Gods" – said Peter proudly

"Yep, have you seen his picture?" – Eric was continuing.

"Yes, I have".

"Fabulous, so you know you don't resemble him at all"

 _All people in our group burst into laughter, me included. This was really sassy and I have no idea, why he has said that._

"The second rule Peter – you don't get to humiliate initiates in my presence. This job is mine and if you want to take my job, you have to become Dauntless member. So take your smart mouth out of my sight and make the life of the other initiates harder somewhere else. Did I make myself clear?".

"Yes, yes you did".

"Dismiss initiates" – Eric shouted.

 _Apparently, I have the answer for my question. Peter can torture me but not in front of Eric. From 6.00 p.m. to 12. p.m., he can do whatever he wants to make my life miserable. Lucky me, it's only 6 hours a day. Four showed us the Pit and he led us to our dormitories._

"This is the place, where you will sleep" – Four said.

"Girls or boys" – Christina asked him.

"Both" – he answered and walked away.

"Probably this is the reason why, all the girls must go to the infirmary. I feel freedom in the air" – she stated

 _I gasped. However, I think that she was right. Dauntless are brave and free. They like parties and alcohol. What's more, they think that they can do whatever they want. Am I really one of them….? I didn't want to respond for this question. I have never been to a party. I have never drunk and I have never had….. I couldn't even think about it. In Abnegation sex was considered as an act of love. The intimacy, which you share with the love of your life – your husband. I highly doubt that I can find a love of my life here._

"Hey! Tris, are you going" – Christina punctuated my thinking.

"Where?".

"To the disco! Infirmary of course!".

 _In the infirmary, all of the girls got 1 ml solution for injection in a pre-filled syringe. Amanda – the nurse told us, that it will protect us from pregnancy and diseases caused by sexually transmitted infections for 3 months. After our visit in the infirmary, we went to the dining room. The dinner was ready. For the first time in my life I could have eaten a hamburger. The taste was good. During our meal, I met Will and Al. They seem to be nice guys. Will told us that Eric and Four hate each other. The tension between them was evident, but I didn't think that they can be enemies. At the end of our dinner, Eric came to the dining and announced._

"Remember initiates. Tomorrow at 8.00 a.m. you will start your training. Some of you will get the first chance to prove that you won't be factionless".

 _Saying this, I felt that his eyes were on my face. I shivered immediately, because the way he was expressing this signalized nothing good…_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

At 8 o'clock all of us were standing in the training room. Four was on time and he explained us, that in the beginning we should warm up, what was strictly connected with running.

"Any questions?".

"What are we going to do after warm up?" – I asked him.

"Then I am going to teach you how to shoot" – he answered.

"What is behind this factionless issue" – the Erudite guy said aloud.

"Behind this factionless issue? Are you kidding me? You really don't know?"

 _Some of us nodded in response._

"You will train just like Dauntless born. Your training is divided into three stages. After the stage one, both you and Dauntless born will be scored and some of us will be cut. When you are cut, you are out and become factionless. Is that clear?".

"Why we didn't know it" – I asked him.

"Probably they didn't want to inform you, because then fear might be your adviser".

 _I felt that Four's statement made that most of us had a panic attack. In the same time, we were forced to warm up. To be honest warming up in Dauntless was rather a marathon. We were running for three hours without any stop. Then Four gave us loaded guns and we began shooting to target. I was trying really hard, but after three hours of shooting, I couldn't hit the target even once. Not to mention the bullseye. I was so pissed, that I started to pull the trigger faster and harder and then I heard a scream._

"Holy shit, are you going to kill me".

 _Oh, my God, it was Eric._

"Are you stupid, crazy or clumsy Stiff. This bullet flew two inches from my leg" – he hissed.

"Four come over here" – he shouted.

"What's up?"

"What's up? What have you been doing for the last six hours? " – asked Eric.

"We were warming up for three hours and practicing shooting for another three. What's your point?".

"My point is, that you have been teaching them shooting for three hours and what they learned is to shoot people accidentally. So, I am just wondering how it is possible, that after three hours Stiff cannot hit a target?"

"Three hours is not enough to teach, especially those who are not gifted" – Four responded.

 _Now I am not only stupid, crazy and clumsy, but also not gifted. Gosh, I'm evolving…._

"Three hours is a plenty of time. Even to hit bullseye. Do you want me to prove it?"

"Challenge accepted Eric".

"Ok. Stiff eat your lunch, take a shower and change. For God's sake you stink".

 _I rolled my eyes. What was his plan?_

"At 3.30 p.m. you will be here and in three hours you will hit the bullseye. You can dismiss initiates" – said Eric.

"What is he doing?" – I asked Will.

"He is trying to prove that Four is a bad trainer. If I were you, I would do all my best to hit this damn bullseye. Otherwise, Eric will turn your life in real hell".

 _My lunch time was like a funeral meal. I was really hungry, but I was so nervous that I could barely swallow. As a result, I left almost full plate and went to take a shower and change. At 3.30 p.m. I was on the roof._

"Oh, here you are. Grab a gun and show me what you have learned so far" – he said that and smirked.

 _I took a gun and pulled the trigger. Of course, I didn't hit the target. I was trying to pull it again but Eric interrupted me._

"Stop, stop it!"

 _Then he came closer to me and I felt his knee on my butt._

"Spread you legs and bow a little bit"

 _I did what he said and then his hands grasped mine. I felt shivers down my spine and my hands started shaking._

"What the hell are you doing? You are weak. You have no muscles. That's why you cannot hold a gun properly. Your hands are shaking and pulling a trigger is a challenge to you. Have you eaten your lunch?".

"I was in the dining room"

 _What can I say? Probably, not that my state was caused by something else. I don't even know, why I started shaking. But I am pretty sure that it wasn't because malnutrition._

"That's not what I'm asking. Did you eat your lunch?" – he asked again.

"I tried to eat something"

"Of course you did. Listen Stiff, I don't care why you choose to be here. I don't even give a shit what your aptitude result was. The only thing I care, is to make you to hit the bullseye. As I said yesterday, sooner or later you will be factionless, but today you are here under my supervision. So snap out of it and start shooting".

 _After Eric speech, I decided to be strong and not to fall apart in front of him. But to be honest, I felt like I was going under water. I had an impression, that he was trying to prove me that no matter what, I will end up as factionless. However, in that moment I reminded myself my mother's words: "Remember Beatrice, when someone tell you that you cannot do something, display him, he is wrong". Then, for the first time I hit the target. It was far from the bullseye, but the spot where I hit was on the shooting target. I looked at Eric, but his eyes were cold and facial expression said nothing. After two hours of shooting I hit the target easily, but the bullseye was out of my reach._

"Stop for a while" – Eric said to me and squatted in front of the target.

"Shoot now"

"What? How?"

"I am not going to repeat twice Stiff. Shoot!"

"I am not going to shoot you".

"No, you are not going to shoot me. You know why? Because you are from Abnegation. You are really Stiff and you will afraid to hurt me without any reason. That's why you will hit bullseye, which is located above my head. Now shoot!"

 _My knees are weak. I am not even sure if I have any knees, because I don't feel them at all. The only thing I feel is my heartbeat, which can signalize heart attack. I concentrate on the target and the only think I hear is the voice "display him, he is wrong". Then I shoot…._

 _I looked at Eric. He was alive and just above his head I saw a bullet slot. I was proud of myself. After two hours and forty-five minutes I hit bullseye._

"As I said, you are from Abnegation" – said Eric.

"No congrats?"

"Excuse me? Did you really say it? Why I supposed to congratulate you? My job was to teach you and I did it. Now you should eat your dinner, it's almost 6.30 p.m. and later on you may not find anything to eat in the dining room".

 _I decided not to comment his remark and I went straight to the dorms. Christina asked me to tell her how my shooting had gone. Around 7.15 p.m. I was in the dining room. Eric was sitting alone and the plate was in front of him. I was walking around the dining room but all the tables were cleaned up and I found anyone in the kitchen._

"You didn't listen what I had told you. Come here" – Eric shouted from long distance.

"Yes…." – I said politely.

"If you want to eat, you can get these leftovers. I won't eat anymore" – he said it and went out of the dining room.

 _I was stunned and I started to analyze the plate. It was full of food. The meat was not even bite. In addition, there were a lot of French fries and green salad. I am not sure, how leftovers look like in Dauntless but in Abnegation we call it proper meal…_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 _Following morning Eric informed Four, that he really did taught me to hit the bullseye. I know it, because in contrary to Eric, Four congratulated me. In the next three days, I was trying to keep up with training, but on Saturday Four started to teach us how to fight and it was another hard nut to crack._

 _Cristina and I were practicing, while Eric came to the training room. He walked around, looked into our direction and with no words he went out from the training room._

"I see, that he doesn't bully you anymore" – Christina stated.

"Apparently, he doesn't" – I sighed unintentionally.

"What was that?"

"What?"

"You have sighed. Just like you miss it or maybe you miss him?"

"I have no idea what are you talking about" – I answered immediately.

"Yup, and that's why you are blushing right now" – Christina smirked.

"I am from Candor, so I know if people lie to me. Spit it out."

"I don't know."

"What you don't know? It is simple question. Do you like him or not?"

"Oh, I don't know. I feel something strange, that is difficult to describe."

"Ok. So I will make it easier for you" – Christina said.

"Do you think of him often?"

"Yes, I do"

"Do you feel something in your stomach when he is near you?"

"Yes, I do"

"Do you have weak knees when you see him?"

"Yes…"

"Well, doctor Christina confirms the diagnosis. You are falling for him."

"Please, Christina be serious. I know this guy like for a week and he is an asshole."

"But admit, that he is a handsome asshole."

"Yeah, he is…."

"Do you think it's mutual" – Christina asked me again.

"Christina, what are you talking about. This guy is trying to prove me that I will be factionless and you are asking if he likes me?"

"Tris, don't be upset, but I have some experience with guys and believe me or not, they usually send some hidden message, giving you signal that they are interested in you."

"I don't recall any particular signal, but maybe…."

"What?"

"When I went to the dining room, Eric gave me a plate, saying that he had some leftovers for me."

"And…."

"And he left. But the plate was full of food, which wasn't even bite"

"Eric and act of mercy. Yes, it's kinda weird."

"Does he stare at you?"

"I caught him a few times."

"All right, so we have some symptoms, which can be considered as a proof of his affection. To have 100% accuracy, we should find out, if he is jealous."

"Jealous of me? Christina are you on drugs? He is Eric, he can have any girl in here."

"Yes, he can but you are not an easy lay. You are a challenge and he is a type of hunter. Besides, your self-esteem is too low. You are really pretty girl, but you have a terrible skill to hide it. Don't worry, today is Saturday and I am going to bring out your natural beauty."

"What do you mean?"

"On every Saturday, here in compound Dauntless members organize a party."

"Christina I am not a party girl. Just look at me. I have never been to a party. What's more I have nothing to wear."

"So, it's about time to change it."

"Girls are you fighting or talking?!" –Four shouted from the distance.

"Remember Tris at 7.00 p.m. I am going to transform you into Goddess" – Christina added, attacking my arms.

 _I was passing near the Pit and I was following Peter and Edward, when I heard Drew. He was drunk and he was shouting to Peter._

"Peter, you need to take it back, because I volunteer."

 _This jerk was really drunk – I thought, then he added_

"Go to the bar and watch Stiff. Maybe even you will volunteer" – saying that he passed out.

 _I was curious what he was babbling about, so I decided to grab something to drink._

 _When I came to bar, I saw some dancing initiates and a bunch of guys, who were drinking liquor. Among them I recognized Will, Al, Candor and…. holy shit Stiff._

 _She was wearing a little, strapless, black dress. She had a makeup and elegant earrings. I admit, she is pretty, but in this outfit she looked stunning. My thinking was interrupted by some jerks, who were commenting her look as well, but definitely in vulgar way. My blood pressure rose, so to not to say something to them, I decided to get a breath of fresh air._

 _I was standing outside of the bar for a while, when Stiff came out, holding a drink._

"Wandering in the middle of the night in this outfit is not the best idea" – I said to her.

"Ain't I supposed to be brave" – she answered.

"There is a thin line between bravery and stupidity."

"Well, tell me then, if standing in front of the target was an act of bravery or stupidity."

"Oh, I see, now you are going to wear this mask."

"What mask?"

"You pretend, that you belong here, by giving your leader a dusty answers."

"So, we have something in common."

"What are you talking about? You have drunk too much."

"All I'm saying, is that you are ratty, because you want to hide something. Maybe it's that deep down inside you are not so cruel and heartless. This plate was full of food."

 _I was pissed off, so I approached to Stiff and pinned her to the wall. She seemed very fragile, but high heels made her taller than usually, so it wasn't hard to look into her eyes and smell her perfume. She was breathing deeply and she looked baffled._

"Listen Stiff, I have no idea what are you talking about. You know nothing of men. Wearing a provocative dress in the middle of the night, is not the brightest idea, especially when you're drunk."

 _When I had said it, I saw Candor and her friends._

"Take Stiff to dorms, it's an order" – I told her.

 _The last thing I heard was Stiff, who was shouting._

"I am not drunk. The plate was full of food."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 _It's been two weeks since I joined Dauntless and one week since this terrible party night. I haven't spoken to Eric since then. Of course, I've seen him but I think that he's been ignoring me. Christina is sure that his comment on my outfit was connected with my stunning look and the fact that someone might be interested in me. Frankly, I don't think so….._

 _Today we have another day of fighting. Day after day, our training is becoming more tough. I am still below the red line of the ranking and I don't know if I make it._

"Welcome initiates" – said Eric, coming into the training room.

"Oh, I think he is in good mood – Christina whispered to me.

"Now, I am going to announce the name of people we are going to fight against each other"

"You see, why he is in good mood" – I said to Christina.

 _Christina was going to fight against Rachel and Will against Al._

"And last but not least Stiff against Molly" – Eric announced.

 _It wasn't good news. Molly was tall, fat and strong. Standing next to her I looked like a gnome. I think that I don't have any chance in this fight. Eric knows it as well. Probably, he is trying to figure out how many of my bones will be broken during this confrontation._

"Stiff and Molly, now is your turn" – Four told us.

 _I was standing in the middle of the mattress. Molly was clenching her fists and making dangerous faces. Apparently, she wanted to scare me. Yes, I was scared but not of the pain or loosing. I was scared of public humiliation and the fact that I might end up as factionless… Molly was quite fast, she hit my stomach. I was trying to hit her back, but she bent and grabbed my legs. I lost my balance and fall on my back. Now, Molly was sitting on my hips and she was punching my face. One of her punch was that forceful that I saw a stream of blood, that washed over my cheek. I was becoming more weak and finally I fainted._

 _I regained my conscious in the infirmary. I was laying on the bed completely alone._

"Hello, how are you feeling today" – it was Amanda- the nurse.

"Today? How long I've been unconscious?" – I asked.

"You have been since yesterday evening" – she answered.

"So, what exactly happened to me?"

"Nothing serious. You took a beating. Your nasal bone is cracked and you have some bruises. Fortunately, she didn't punch you strong in the stomach, so you don't have any serious damages, such as internal bleeding or broken ribs. You just need to apply some ointment on your bruises, so they will heal faster and change gauze on your nose. You will be signed out in twenty minutes".

"Thank you"

"You're welcome"

 _Amanda came back in twenty minutes, handing me my discharge papers. Suddenly, we heard a wild screaming. It was Edward. He was swearing, shouting and kicking his legs. He was accompanied by Four and Eric. His face was full of blood and he was having a spreader in his right eye._

"What happened to him!?" – Amanda asked them.

"He was stabbed in his eye while he was sleeping" – responded Four.

"By who?"- Amanda was continuing.

"What is it, a game show? Maybe, instead of asking stupid questions you take care of him" – hissed Eric.

 _I was too overwhelmed to say something. I was just staring at Edward, who was evidently in horrible pain, because he was screaming louder than two minutes ago. Amanda called a doctor and they took Edward to operating room. I didn't know what to do, so I sat on the bed._

"Are you all right Tris?"– Four asked me.

"No, I mean yes. What was that?

"Someone attacked him in the dorm"

"Why?" – I asked again.

"Probably because he was the first in the ranking"

"So, is it a reason to harm anybody?"

"Yes, Stiff this is a reason to hurt somebody" – Eric butted into our conversation.

"You still don't get it Stiff? You are not on the vacation. You take part in the training for a Dauntless member. It is a rivalry, really hard one. You had a chance to feel it on your own skin. Luckily you passed out. Otherwise, you will be send here for more than three days and according to our rules, abstaining from training for three days makes that you are cut. So, take it to yourself and start to think seriously of the training".

 _I didn't know what to say. I was bruised, alone and I have already found out, that I decided to join to faction, where people act like animals. There are no rules and no sympathy and no one will stand against it. Eric was staring at me, but he didn't say anything more and he left the infirmary. Four was so kind, that he accompanied me to the dorms. I couldn't sleep, whereas everyone there were sleeping like babies. I have understood that my future depends mostly of this stupid ranking. Being weak make me factionless, but being strong make that I will be consider as a threaten to the other initiates. Then I could end up with knife in my eye or any other part of my body. In that moment, I realized that my fate was in my own hands. I got dressed and went to the training room. I started to punch the punching bag, then I heard a voice._

"You are doing it in wrong way!"

 _Eric showed up from nowhere and he was approaching towards me._

"Are you chasing me?" – I asked him looking into his grey eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself. I had to do some paper works because of this attack".

"Turn around" – he said to me.

"For what?"

"I said turn around. Order here is not an option".

 _I turned around just like he said and I felt his hand on my stomach. In the same time I felt shivers and I was glad that I was wearing long sleeve, because I goosebumps intruded on my skin._

"You should keep the tension here and put your hands like this" – saying this he showed me how to clench my fists. 

"Punch like this and try to avoid punching bag, that is going back to you. Besides you should definitely stay more hours on the gym, to build your muscles and eat properly. Repeat this exercise twenty times."

 _I nodded, because I was in total shock. It was 3 a.m. I was standing in the training room with Eric, who was instructing me, what to do to become better. I repeated this exercise twenty times, breathing heavily. While I was doing this, I felt his gaze still on me._

"Ok. I did it twenty times. Thank you and have a good night" – I said it quickly and I was ready to go, when he spoke again.

"Where the hell are you going Stiff?"

"I thought….."

"So, don't think too much. It's not your speciality."

"Stand on the mattress. You gonna fight against me."

"There is no way I can defeat you."

"It's not about defeating me. It's about training your moves while you are fighting. But be prepared to taking some beating as well."

I did what he had said. He was trying to punch me on my arm, but fortunately I avoided his move and I grabbed his hand. I was trying to twist it, but he was stronger. He grasped my calf and in a moment I was laying on the mattress. His hand was above my face. I closed my eyes and whined.

"Just do, what you always wanted to do."

 _Then I felt his soft lips on my lips_ …


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you very much for nice reviews. I am glad that you liked it, especially that this is my first fanfic Due to the fact, that I have the whole concept of the story in my mind and I'm on vacation, I try to update it regularly. By the way, reviews are appreciate by all means

 **Chapter 6**

 _His soft lips were on my lips and his thumb was stroking my cheek. I had butterflies in my stomach and desire to deepen this kiss. I started to open my mouth intuitively and the thrill is gone. In that moment, Eric picked himself up. I opened my eyes and the only thing I had in my mind was "Is that all? Are you serious, man?". Of course, I didn't say it aloud, but I am not sure if my facial expression didn't speak for itself, because Eric was staring at me with intense graze, smirking. Then he turned around and going to the main door, he said:_

"Remember Stiff, take more time in the gym and eat properly. It's 5.00 a.m, so you can still get some sleep."

 _This guy must be crazy. How the hell I am supposed to sleep after this kiss. I am still paralyzed and I am not sure, if my weak legs can drift my body. Somehow I gave a try and slowly I made for dorm._

 _At the entrance, I saw Christina. She was going from the bathroom._

"Where have you been?" – Christina murmured.

"In the training room" – I answered

"What have you been doing in the training room in the middle of the night?"

"I have been training and I have been kissing Eric or to be exact he has been kissing me." – I stated like it was the most obvious thing on the Earth.

"Shut up! He really kissed you?"

"There is no my intention to lie to you. Besides, you're from Candor, so you would discover it anyway."

"I see that you are not lying, but you don't seem to be happy either."

"Maybe, because he kissed me softly and when I wanted to deepen it and kiss him back, he pulled back."

"So you are trying to say, that you wanted more."

"Yup, apparently I wanted more. Believe me or not but my own thoughts scare the hell out of me."

"Passion is something natural, so you don't have to worry about it. It's completely normal. Besides, that's a proof that you are becoming more Dauntless."

"Maybe you are right, but I am pretty sure, that I did something wrong and that's why he left me there on the mattress."

"On the mattress! Tris you are surprising me more and more."

 _I blushed._

"Did you force him to kiss you?" – Christina asked calmly.

"No, of course I didn't force him to do anything. He wanted to show me some moves during fighting and he collapsed on top of me. I thought, that he had wanted to slap me in the face, but instead of this he kissed me."

"He was teasing you."

"What are you saying?"

"He tests you. He wants to know your reaction. He doesn't want to make a fool of himself and he is not sure what you feel. Taking into account his personality, you can't count on any straightforward question from his side. That's why he tries to estimate his chances."

"Christina, what you're Erudite."

"No, but my grandma was and she had some hidden psychologist books. Most of them were about relationships" – she smiled.

"If I were you, I would try to ask him about this kiss. Eric is not a type of guy, who regrets something. He wouldn't say that he did it by accident or on the spur of the moment. I bet that, he will give you short shrift. Now, go get some sleep. How are you feeling anyway? This fight between you and Molly scared me, especially when you fainted."

"I'm fine. Nothing serious had happened to me. I fainted and after that Amanda applied me some drugs. That's why I regained my conscious yesterday."

 _That night I fell asleep at 6.30 a.m. In the afternoon I was trying to reach Eric, but I didn't see him anywhere. Four told me that he had been patrolling the fence. It was connected with the riots, which held near the Amity headquarter. Apparently it was something serious, because Eric was out of sight for almost a week. So, I decided to concentrate on my trainings. During this week, I spent more time in the gym. I also was able to defeat Rachel, Tim and Drew during fights. I was still below the red line, but I was the first below it._

 _It was Friday evening, around 9.00 p.m. I was going back from the gym. While I was passing the net, I heard that someone fell into it. I was curious, who it was so I decided to tarry._

"What's that a welcome committee?" – said Eric shaking off the net.

"Don't flatter yourself. I was going back from the gym" – I answered.

"Oh, so I see, you took my advice and you are working hard now."

"Yes, I do my best. Speaking of your advice, I'd like to ask you something."

"Is it related to training?"

"Not exactly."

"So, we have nothing to talk about."

"But, I….."

"No but…. I am sick and tired of talking. I've been talking for the last week. People are too stupid to understand how to handle with factionless. That's why I was talking more than usually. So, please do me a favor and leave me alone".

 _I rolled my eyes and left him next to this net. Christina was right. He definitely gave me short shrift._

 _The next three days was the same. Nothing particular has happened. I've been constantly exchanging the look with Eric, but we didn't talk at all. I decided to change something. I bought some new clothes and I was trying to learn how to do a makeup, but it wasn't enough to me. I spoke to Christina and she told me about a tattoo parlor. Today, I made very brave decision and at the moment I was going to choose and get my first tattoo._

"Amanda, what are you doing here?".

"Tori was asked to patrol the fence, so I am a substitute for her in there."

"Tori? Is she a girl, who did my aptitude test?"

"Yes, probably someone doesn't like her."

"Why are you saying this?"

"She was the fourth in her class last year. She had a right to choose her job. She chose a tattoo parlor and now someone send her to patrol the fence. It's the worst job in here. People usually get it, when they finish class as the ninth and tenth."

"I am going to the supply closet for some needles and pigments. Where do you want to get it?"

"Just above my right breast"

"All right. Take off your T-shirt and bra and clean the spot where you will get your tattoo. I'll be back in ten minutes."

 _I was sitting on the armchair, cleaning my chest, then I looked at the front door. Eric was standing there smirking._

"So, you are more Dauntless than I thought".

 _I swiftly moved my hand to cover my expose chest_.

"Do you really think, that I haven't seen women's breasts before? Unless, you have three boobs, there is nothing unusual."

"Have long have you been here….?" – I asked him.

"Long enough to know that you don't have three boobs" – He smirked again.

"Where is Tori?"

"She was sent to patrol the fence. You didn't know it?" – I asked him.

"No, I didn't. Probably, it was Max, who decided it" – he added.

"So, be careful with your tattoo. You will have it till the end of your life, so select it wisely. Oh, and better choose a black pigment. Colorful are more painful" – he said and left.

 _What was it? Am I dreaming. Someone should pinch me. What's the most surprising, I was a little bit ashamed of his presence in that particular situation, but I wasn't ashamed as I thought I should be. Maybe, Christina is right and I've became more Dauntless._

 _Amanda finished doing my tattoo around 11 o'clock. I decided to choose three swallows. Everyone of them symbolized the member of my family. I was going back to the dorm, when someone grabbed my arm and slapped in my face. I lost my balance immediately, but somehow I was able to lean against the wall and I kicked attacker between his legs. He was stronger, so he punched my stomach, twisted my wrists and pushed me on the floor. He was wearing a shawl and a cap, so his face was invisible. In one swift move he ripped my T-shirt. I was thinking of the worst, but suddenly someone grabbed his hands from me and all I was hearing was the sound of beating._

"Are you all right?"- Eric asked me.

 _I nodded._

"Could you go?"

"I am not sure" – I answered.

"Ok. Put your hands around my neck"

I did what he had asked and he took me from the ground in the bridal style. We were going down the Pit. This direction was completely new to me.

"Where are we going?"

"Your attacker fled. I am not going to report it, so taking you to the infirmary is not an option, unless you want to" – he looked at me in wonder.

"No, I don't want to go there."

"Taking into account that you have scratches and bruises, I think it is good to medicate it in my place".

 _Eric's apartment was not very big. It consisted of small kitchen, which leads to his bedroom and bathroom. I was sitting on the bed while he was kneeling in front of me. He was holding a gauze and peroxide._

"Could you just show me your scratches?" – he asked.

"Yes, no problem at all. This T-shirt is torn anyway " – I smiled sadly.

"I am glad I was there"

"I am glad too. Why did you do it?".

"Are you asking me, why I saved you from violent assault?"

"No, Why you kissed me that day?"

"Are you serious?. You have been attacked and the only thing what you have in your mind is why I kissed you? I really don't understand women" - he whispered.

 _I was feeling his gentle touch on my collar bone. He put a gauze on my scratches, which started to burn. I hissed._

"Ok. To feed your curiosity and make you to think of something else, I'm gonna tell you. I kissed you, because you asked me".

"I did not ask you! Are you serious?".

"I am. It was you, who said "do what you always wanted to do".

"Oh, That's what you had in your mind".

"And you thought that what I had had?".

"I thought that you would slap me in my face".

 _Eric was laughing out loud, while he was still putting a gauze on my skin. This feeling was so great, unspeakable great._

"You know what Stiff. It was the last thing I wanted to do. I believe it's better to regret something you did than to regret something you didn't. It was a second reason, why I kissed you".

"I think you are right" – I said quietly.

"Oh, You have finally agreed with me? What's your thing to do than regret?" – he asked me.

 _I don't know how can I get the power to do it, but when I heard his question I knew that it was my only thing to do than regret. So, I took of my T-shirt completely, stood up and kissed him intensely…_


	7. Chapter 7

First of all, I'd like to thank you for reviews. Due to the fact, that I didn't lead this chapter in typical direction reserved for M rate, some of you might be a little bit disappointed. Anyway, I decided to stick to my concept and style. I also added another genre, because inevitably Drama is coming. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

 **Chapter 7**

 _I was lying in a bed covered by sheet. My head was located on something harder than pillow. Yes, it wasn't a pillow. It was Eric's rib cage. His large arm was around my shoulder. The last night was incredible. My words cannot describe it and I cannot compare it to anything. I am glad that I did it. I didn't feel any pain. The only thing I felt was a passion. Probably, that's because he was a right person. Girls from Abnegation said, that if you were in love there is no room for fear, insecurity or pain. It must have been true, I thought and yawned._

"Oh, I see someone is tired" – Eric spoke softly.

"I am not tired. I'm just sleepy. Two hours of sleep is not enough for me" – I answered.

"But it was you, who didn't want me to get to sleep" – he smirked.

 _I picked myself up and I looked into his eyes, saying:_

"Do you regret that I am a reason of your sleepless night?"

 _Eric only turned his head and he kissed me._

"That's your answer Tris."

"Tris, not Stiff? Since when have you called me by my name?"

"Since yesterday. Stiff doesn't suit you anymore."

"True, I think it better suits you, since yesterday of course" – _saying this_ _I smacked his arm playfully and I kissed him immediately. He took me into his strong arms and I put my head on his shoulder._

"Frankly, I didn't see, it was coming" – Eric was continuing.

"I didn't see, it was coming either"

"So, it wasn't your intention?"

"To seduce you? No, it wasn't. I thought about it, when you were saying about regretting things we have never done. So, I didn't want to regret that chance on the mattress and I did a step forward."

"A chance on the mattress?"

"In the training room. I wanted to kiss you back. Didn't you feel it?"

"Of course, I did. I was teasing you."

"So, Christina was right."

"What Candor has to do with it? Don't say you have told her about us?"

"Yes, yes…I did. Is it a problem for you?"

"I am not the one, who may have problems because we slept together. People will say that you have been sleeping with me to stay in Dauntless."

"Christina is not like that."

"Maybe or maybe not. Jealousy can transform people into monsters."

"She knows only about our kiss. Maybe you are right. I will tell her that nothing more had happened. Actually, I think we should talk what happened."

"I don't understand. Do you regret?"

"No, I don't."

"So, why do you want to talk about it?"

"Don't you think that we should establish something? I don't know, some rules? People may suspect something."

"You know what. I think that we need to get dressed and eat breakfast. In two hours, I have an appointment in Erudite headquarter and before that I have to talk to Max."

"So, when do you want to talk?"

"Be at 10.00 p.m. on the roof."

"Ok. I'll be there".

 _As soon as we were dressed, Eric gave me a peek on the cheek and we went to the dining room separately. I was a little bit disappointed, but I was too happy to contemplate it._

 **Eric POV**

 _While I was going to the Erudite headquarter, I had only one thing in my mind – Tris. What was it all about? We need to talk about what happened. We had sex, that's what happened. I am not a kind of guy, who goes for a date, buys flowers and writes poems. I am not a romantic dude. I have never been in any serious relationship. I thought that we were on the same page. Apparently, we weren't. So, what is she trying to establish, number of guests in our wedding? All right, calm down Eric. Maybe she doesn't feel something particular to you. Maybe you exaggerate things. Now I need to concentrate on my meeting with Jeanine._

"Eric it is nice to see you again" – Jeanine said and she invited me to her office.

"As you know, we are looking for Divergents in every single faction".

"Yes I know it."

"We checked Tori Wu."

"Is she Divergent?"

"No, she isn't but we took a look at her."

"She was responsible for aptitude test this year and she wrote some results manually. It isn't forbidden but it is fishy. I talked to Max and we decided to send her to the fence. It would be better for our future project."

"Future project? Yes we have some plans related to Abnegation, but at the moment it's not a matter of our meeting."

"My people prepared me files of those, who had their results of aptitude tests written manually. Write down their names please. It will be: Drew Stevenson, Rachel Adams and Beatrice Prior. Oh, the last one might be known under Tris."

 _It's impossible. What is she suspecting?_

"Are they Divergents?"- I asked her calmly.

"That's what I am trying to establish. I am not sure about them. But watch them carefully, especially Beatrice Prior."

 _I almost choked on my drink, when I heard it. How much more carefully should I watch her for God's sake?_

"When do you start stage two?" – Jeanine asked me.

"This month will be all about physical preparation. In four weeks we are going to start simulations."

"I can't wait for it. We will deliver you all you need. We are still working on better serum, which will enable us to find Divergents faster."

"Are you saying, that after stage two you will find them all?"

"Yes, Eric. The thing is that Divergents are resistant to all kind of serums, which are provided by Erudite Pharmacy. They usually pass stage two without any problem, because they know when they are under simulation."

"Oh, now I see how it works. What about your plan to hunt Divergents. I mean who knows about it?"

"Just you and Max. I can trust only you, because you were originally Erudite. Speaking of Erudite. Do you know that your mother received an award in Gynecology from our Faction Board."

"No, actually I didn't know. We are not very close."

"Yes, I heard that you had spent your childhood at the hospital and midwives had been your babysitters. But you know Eric – Faction Before Blood."

"Yes, Faction Before Blood" – I repeated.

"To sum up, we will meet in four weeks in your headquarter. Keep your eye on everything and inform me about any kind of progress. Good bye Eric."

"Good bye Jeanine."

 **Eric POV**

 _At the moment, I have no doubts. Everything what happened between me and Tris must be forget. If she is Divergent, she will be killed. I have to be prepared for that. What if she is not Divergent? Well, I don't have time for relationship. Anyway, she is from Abnegation. We can't make it, especially if Jeanine prepares project against Abnegation. Tris will probably take their side. Faction before blood is nothing to her. To me it is everything. My whole life was based on this sentence. So nowadays, it's not a sentence anymore it's a way of living._

 **Tris POV**

 _It's almost 10.00 p.m. and I am on my way to the roof. I know my feelings but I am not sure what Eric feels. I know that he cares about me in some strange way, but this man is still a huge puzzle to me. Luckily, Christina is dating with Will. I told her that I had been in the infirmary with Amanda, but I said it while I was standing back to her. She didn't ask anymore. Oh finally, I am on the roof. Eric is standing next to the chimney_.

"How long have you been waiting?" – I asked him immediately.

"Not so long" – he kissed my briefly on the lips.

"Are you sad or something?"

"No, I'm not sad. I was just thinking"

"About what?"

"About your tattoo."

"My tattoo?"

"Yes, I discovered it yesterday and I don't know the story of it."

"Oh, it's simple. Each swallow symbolizes the member of my family."

"Oh, I see, three swallows. Very Abnegation."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, except of the thing that you wanted to know."

"Yes? I don't see any connection between us and Abnegation."

"Me in contrary, I see that it won't make it."

"I beg your pardon."

"I am not sure what you expected, but I'm not a romantic guy, who would confess his deepest feelings to girl just because he slept with her."

"I don't understand? So you felt nothing and you decided to do what, seduce me?"

"Oh no, it was you, who seduced me. Should I remind you exactly, how it was?"

"So, are you trying to say, that you just took an opportunity. How do you call it then?!"

"I don't know - a fling."

"Be serious! Even I know that a fling doesn't last one night!"

"Even you, it's good that you emphasized that. As I told you, you know nothing of men!"

"So, enlighten me then! Because of what you took an opportunity?!"

"Because of desire! It is called one-night stand! And don't tell me that deepest feelings were standing behind your actions, because we both know that you wanted to score me as the same as I wanted to score you!"

 _In that moment I couldn't stand it anymore and I slapped in his face. It must have been forceful, because Eric grabbed his cheek and was staring at me in wonder and in completely silence._

"You said enough. I get it. I was enlightened. Since that moment, you are not allowed to touch me anymore. I can control my feelings and believe me or not, desire is not one of them right now. We will talk only about trainings and if it will completely necessary. I don't know with who you have been so far, but to your information, I am not one of them and in fact deepest feelings were standing behind my actions" _\- saying this I turned around and I was going directly to the dorm, hiding eyes in my hands…_


	8. Chapter 8

This is another chapter of the story. Thanks again for reviews, favorites and follows. I was really surprised by those nice comments. I didn't expect it, so I appreciate it even more.

 **Chapter 8**

 _ **Four weeks later**_

 **Eric POV**

 _I haven't spoken to Tris for four weeks and I haven't seen her for two days. Lately, she's been acting strange. I had no idea, what was going on with her. My thoughts were interrupted by Will and Al, who were sitting next to me in the dining room and were having stupid conversation. I was going to tell them to shut up, but then I heard this:_

"Today, Tris woke me up again" – Al said to Will.

"Christina told me, that she's been constantly puking for three days" – Will answered.

"I have my bed next to her, so she wakes me up every day around 5.00 a.m".

"Maybe, she has a food poisoning?" – asked Will.

"I don't think so. We all eat the same things and she is the only one, who is sick. Besides, she seems to be weaker day after day."

"It's nothing good then. In two days, we are going to start stage two. The last time, Tris was fifth in the ranking. Maybe she won't be cut, but in her state passing another stage of initiation might be extremely hard" – sighed Will.

 _I was eavesdropping this conversation and suddenly I got it. If Tris were Divergent, her immune system would be different. So, there is a possibility, that her organism doesn't fight off infection or it resists treatment. In one moment, I decided to go to the medical archive._

"Good morning. Do you need any help?" – said a nurse in the archive.

"Yes, I am looking for a chart of one of initiates" – I said to her.

"Printable versions are in the office next to the infirmary. Here we have only e-charts. You can choose one of the computer and find anything what you want."

 _I chose one of the notebook and I wrote down Tris name. In this chart was everything. I found out that she had been extremely healthy. Her check-ups were registered. She was completely immune to the bacterium and bugs. She had no surgeries or hospital treatments. She has never taken any drugs. She was injected once, almost two months ago in Dauntless infirmary. I remember that thing. It was a drug invented for women. The name of the drug was NEWTREAT1.0. and maybe it caused some interactions with food or alcohol. I was trying to find some information on this drug, but there were no records in Medical Dictionary On-line._

"Excuse me? Where I can find an information on the particular drug?" – I asked the nurse.

"If you cannot find it in Medical Dictionary On-line, that means only that this is a new drug. The Erudite Pharmacy invents drugs on a daily basis. That's why they update Medical Dictionary On-line only once in three months. The next update should be in two weeks time."

"But what if this drug was in use?"- I asked her again.

"Usually people, who treat with the newest drugs know their application and composition." 

_I knew who could help me. I also knew, that it might be extremely hard to get to know the answer for my question. But I was so determined, that I decided to give a try._

"Hello Amanda" – I said while I was coming to the infirmary.

"Oh, that's you Eric. What do you want and why do you have this creepy smile on your face?"

 _Apparently, she guessed that this smile was fake._

"All right. I have a problem"- I admitted.

"You have a problem and one of your stupid initiate, who you treated like a shit one year ago can help you? Words fail me!" – she smirked.

"Ok, it's serious. Briefly speaking, two months ago we got a message that men in Dauntless wouldn't need to use protection anymore, since an upgraded injection for women has been invented".

"I see, take off your pants"- she answered.

"A beg your pardon!"

"You caught something, right?" – she asked smiling.

"Of course, I didn't catch anything. It's been two months since…"- I was trying to finish my sentence but she interrupted me.

"Ok, I get it. Two months is quite long for a player like you. Finally you have found someone and you would like to know if _NEWTREAT1.0._ is safe" – Amanda answered rolling her eyes.

"Something like that" – _better to make fool of myself, than don't get a clue about this drug, I though._

"NEWTREAT1.0 was invented two and a half months ago in Erudite. This drug prevents from conception and various diseases and has 100% efficacy. That's why you men don't need to use anything. Is that clear?"

"What about its composition?" – I asked again.

"Maybe, ask your mother"

"My mother?"

"Seriously, Eric? On what planet do you live? Two and a half months ago Elizabeth Coulter finally has found anti-birth serum and because of that she received an award from the Erudite Board. This serum is a basis of _NEWTREAT1.0._ You really didn't know it?".

"I didn't know it, I didn't know it. Why the hell I don't read the Erudite Pharmacy Magazine!?" – I was saying that aloud but rather to myself than to Amanda.

"Eric are you all right?!"

"Everything is fine, I just need to drink something. Thanks!" – I said promptly and run away from the infirmary straight to the bar.

 _I was sipping my whiskey and thinking about this fucking drug. My mother succeeded. She's been working on this shit for her whole life. I was the reason, why she had been working on that. She didn't want me, but she lived in Abnegation and her parents made her to bring me in this world. My father left her as soon as he had discovered that she was pregnant. Then she decided to join Erudite. She wanted to invent anti-birth drug with 100% efficacy. Since that moment she has been obsessed with it. I was raising by midwives and her friends gynecologist, surrounded by pregnant women and their pink newborns. I am still afraid of newborns. They were even in my Fear Landscape. The seventh fear the scariest fear, I laughed to myself. My mum destroyed my life with this obsession. She made that I had hated Abnegation. I decided to join Dauntless, to freed from her. I am not even sure, why the hell I was helping Jeanine. Erudite wasn't the best place to live in. Faction before blood? Yes, I believe in that. Dauntless is my faction and I want to rule this city with the help of Erudite of course. Yes, that's why I decided to help Jeanine in the first place. But she hasn't mentioned that my mother was involved in that too. Cheers mum, you have finally invented your freaking serum, I smirked and drained my whiskey._

 _It was almost 7.00 p.m. and I was going to eat a dinner. When I came to the dining room, I saw Tris. Thanks to my mother, I forgot about her and her case. She looked ghastly. She was pale and she had bags under her eyes. I started to put two and two together. She was pale, she's been puking and she's been weak. Holly shit! If she was Divergent, she would be resistant to all kind of serums which were invented in the Erudite Pharmacy. That means only one thing…..In that moment of awakening, I probably became paler than Tris._

"Tris we need to talk as soon as possible!" – I approached to her and grabbed her arm.

"Don't touch me! Do you want to talk about training?" – she asked me.

"No, no about…"

"Then leave me alone. I am trying to pick up something to eat and since I have been puking for three days, you risk that I will make your outfit dirty and smelly" – she looked at me intensely and with odium in her eyes.

 _Fortunately, there was no people in our vicinity, so I was continuing._

"We need to talk!"

"The other night we said everything. Don't you think so?"

"Do you have any other symptoms?! You puke and you are pale. It can be serious! Do you have any other symptoms?!"

"I, I feel diz….."

 _In that moment Tris fainted…._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 **Eric POV**

 _I was holding Tris in my arms. There were not so many initiates in the dining room, so I thought that I would hide her in my apartment and tell her about my eye opener. I was heading to the main door, when Max approached._

"Eric what are you doing with this initiate?" – he asked me.

"Oh, she has just fainted"

"So, take her to the infirmary. By the way, isn't she Tris Prior?" – he asked me again.

"Yes, yes she is" – I answered.

"Jeanine probably told you what she had suspected about her. As soon as the doctor has finished her examining, you will give me information on her condition."

 _I was standing in the infirmary while Tris was examining by the doctor. My mother would be proud of me. Not only I impregnated a girl at the age of 22, but also I impregnated Divergent. I remember her, who constantly was reminding me about protection. I am even surprised, that it wasn't my first word. What an irony, my mom has never wanted to be a grandma and because of her invention in about eight months, she will be one. Karma is a bitch, I smirked. My thoughts were interrupted by my cell phone. It was Max._

"Yes, Max?"

"Eric are you still in the infirmary?"

"Yes, I am"

"Jeanine will be there in 30 minutes, so stay there until then. She will pay you a visit there."

"Oh, I see. What is the aim of her visit?"

"She will deliver serum for stage two. I also told her about little Prior and her health issues".

"Oh, oh, I get it. All right, I will be here."

 _Holy shit! Jeanine is coming here. What am I supposed to tell her? She will ask about Tris. Probably, she will get to know that Tris is pregnant. The other question will be about the father. I don't know what Tris will tell her. If she told her about me, then Jeanine would kill me. Tris is Divergent and Jeanine wanted to use her. This pregnancy might make this scenario impossible. All right, calm down Eric. You can tell her that the baby is not yours. Yeah, geneticists would establish that very soon. But you can also tell her that you impregnated her by chance. Yup, you took her to your apartment and stripped her accidentally. I literally fucked my life up._

"Hello Eric" – it was Jeanine.

"What has happened to Tris Prior?"

"Doctor Brown is examining her, so we don't know yet."

"Actually, we know" – in that moment doctor Brown showed up and spoke aloud.

 _I froze, because I knew what would be next._

"Hello Hector! It's nice to see you" – Jeanine apparently has been knowing Hector Brown very well.

"Hello Jeanine, it's nice to see you too".

"Eric, do you know doctor Hector Brown? I met him during my residency in the hospital".

"No unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to meet him earlier" – I said politely.

"Jeanine was always fascinated in genetics, so she decided to abandon her career in practicing medicine and she sacrificed her life to science."

"Speaking of medicine, what have you established during examining this initiate?" – asked Jeanine.

"Beatrice Prior is perfectly healthy, but I asked laboratory to run some tests. Both blood test and urinalysis were positive. She's pregnant" – he said smirking.

 _My knees became weak. I wasn't in shock, because I did saw that coming, but I was still in panic. I was watching Jeanine carefully. She disbelieved, having her eyes wide open and her jaw dropped._

"Are you sure?" – she asked.

"Of course, I am. I am not gynecologist, but I can run some tests easily."

"Oh, Don't get me wrong Hector. I know that you are good specialist, but since _NEWTREAT1.0_ has been invented, I thought that wouldn't happen. What about her injection?"

"Nearly two months ago, she was injected here, in the infirmary."

"Is it possible, that _NEWTREAT1.0_ interacted with something else?" –Jeanine asked again.

"No Jeanine, it's impossible. This girl probably was resistant to this serum and in my view, this should be the case for genetics. I assume, that you are interested in that?"

"Of course I am" – Jeanine smirked.

"Have you already told her?"

"No, I haven't. I thought that it would be wiser to talk to the leaders and ask gynecologist to consult her. She is 18, so technically she is adult, but she is still an initiate and I am not sure if she should stay in the programme. I am sorry Jeanine, but I need to go to my other patients. In case of something, you have my number, right?" – he asked her again.

"Yes, thank you Hector for everything."

 _Doctor Brown closed the door and I saw that Jeanine was thinking about something intensely. Then she spoke._

"You know, what does it mean?

"Yes, I am guessing that Tris is Divergent."

"Yes, Eric you're right. Do you know who he is?"

"A beg your pardon?"

"Every baby has a father. Do you know him?!"

"I don't know the guy she slept with" – I lied to her.

"It was you, who was responsible for watching her."

"Yes, Jeanine, but you told me that around four weeks ago. We both know, that she has been pregnant longer."

 _Jeanine was furious. She clenched her fists and her jaw was grinding in anger._

"So, Eric, it's about time to find out what you have missed. Go with me!"

 _We entered the room. Tris was lying in a bed and she looked tired and sad. I had a strange feeling. I felt sorry for her. My situation wasn't good either, but I wasn't the one, who was carrying this baby._

"Welcome, Tris! Do you remember me?"

"Yes, you are Jeanine Matthews from Erudite" – she answered.

"Can I speak to the doctor? He told me to wait for him and my test results."

"Actually, we spoke to him and your case is no longer under his supervision. This is field for geneticists and gynecologists."

"Gynecologists?" – she repeated after Jeanine.

"Oh, yes my dear. Congratulations, you're going to be a mother."

 _Tris was stunned. She turned her head and put her hands on knees, looking at the wall._

"It's impossible, it's impossible" – she was in denying.

"Did you have sex?" – asked Jeanine.

 _Tris nodded and blushed._

"So, there is nothing impossible in it".

"But, I had this injection"- she murmured.

"Speaking of which. This injection wasn't effective on you, because you are Divergent, but I assume you knew it, didn't you?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"We both know that you are ling to me. Eric and I came here to ask you to cooperate, otherwise we won't be so gentle."

 _In this moment Tris looked into my eyes. Her face was in pain and I saw tears in her eyes. She was frightened and I couldn't help her or at least comfort her._

"What do you want to know?"- she sighted.

"What do you know about Divergents?"- Jeanine asked.

"Nothing at all. If I had known something, I wouldn't have been in this situation"

"Yes, I bet you wouldn't. Who is the father?"

 _I was standing in front of Tris, looking deeply into her eyes. I was trying to read something in her body language and facial expression, but it was impossible. Her face was cold, as well as her eyes._

"I don't know the father"- she answered.

"What do you mean?" – Jeanine was continuing.

"It was one-night stand. I met one douche and it happened" – _while she was saying it, she looked at me._

"No Tris, it wasn't. You don't act on the spur of moment. It must have been love, at least from your side."

 _Jeanine confirmed what Tris told me the other night. Probably, it was true, but I didn't believe her. To me it was impossible, that she might be in love with me. The way Tris was looking at me, made me feel terrible. It wasn't just a pain, it was a disdain._

"I won't tell you anymore. As I said, this baby has no father and is only mine" – Tris spoke again.

"No Tris, you are wrong. You have no rights to this baby. We will decide what to do in this situation."

"What do you mean?"

"You are healthy and you are Divergent. Because of this, you are the case to genetic analysis. But you must cooperate with us. Only then, you won't be factionless. Oh, and take into account that the fate of your unborn child is still up to you."

 _Jeanine left, telling me to try to find out more. Tris was still looking at me with no words._

"Tris maybe you…" – I started to talk.

"Well, you go after Divergents. Did you know about me?"

"It's me who is asking questions here" – I told her quietly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot that you are my leader. Leave me alone! Please, leave me alone!"

 _I didn't want to cause more stress to her, so I decided to give up._

"Did she tell you something?" – Jeanine asked me outside of the examination room.

"No, she didn't".

"Four is on his way here"

"Four?"

"Yes, he is her instructor. Max told him to come here. Maybe he knows something. Speaking of the devil".

 _Four opened the door and came in._

"You wanted to see me Eric?"- he asked me.

"No, I wanted to see you Four."

"Ms. Matthews, why did you want to see me?"

"Did you know that Beatrice Prior was pregnant?"

 _Four didn't seem to be really shocked. Yes, he seemed to be surprised, but to me he was faking._

"No, I didn't know it".

"Do you know who the father is" –Jeanine asked Four.

"Yes, I think I know his name" – Four responded with no hesitation, staring directly at me…..


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"So, are you going to tell us his name or not? – said Jeanine impatiently.

"It's Edward Rogers."

 _What is he talking about? Did he make it up or did Tris really cheat on me?_

"Tell me everything what you know!" – Jeanine was continuing his inquiry.

"Edward was a transfer from Erudite. He was the first in the ranking. Because of that, he was stabbed in his eye and became factionless. Unfortunately, before he left Dauntless, he had attacked Tris and he had raped her."

 _Very nice story Four, but why did you do it?_

"Assuming, you are telling the truth. Why didn't you report it?" – asked Jeanine.

"I didn't know it. I have already found out. Max asked me to push her friend. She is from Candor, so she can't lie."

"All right, this makes sense to me. A girl from Abnegation, who doesn't want to tell anybody about this kind of violence, because it proved her weakness and revealed that she really doesn't fit in here."

"Eric I want to see you here tomorrow at 9.00. Today, I am too tired to continue this thing. What's more, I need to think about the future of Tris and her fetus and make some particular decisions. Four, I want you to know, what happened with this Edward. Try to talk with factionless and find him. Now you both are free to go."

 _I was going with Four down the hallway in completely silence. I was still thinking about his appealing story._

"What was that and why did you say it?" – I interrupted that awkward silence.

"If you want to know, be in the bar at 10.00 p.m."

 _At 10.10 p.m. I came to the bar. Four was sipping his drink and was talking with bartender._

"Double malt whisky please and the same for Four." – I ordered.

"Why are you so generous Eric?" – Four asked me.

"We both know what you did and I think that I owe you something" – I answered.

"You really think that I did it for you. You are so funny, Eric. I did it for her."

"For her? What do you mean?"

"Listen, I know what you did to this poor girl. However, I think that Tris is not a fool. Maybe she was under the spell and love blinded her somehow, but she chose you. Apparently, she saw something interesting in you, what I can't see. She wouldn't have been so stupid to be with a guy, who has no heart and no feelings. So I thought, that I could give you a chance, because you can help her."

"Another great speech Four. Are you really sure, you don't want to be a leader?"

"Ok. I understand that you won't take any responsibility for her and the baby? I see that brave and fearless Eric is afraid of newborn."

"You know nothing about me. I had a shitty childhood. I won't be good father or boyfriend."

"Do you really want to talk about shitty childhood? You know what Eric. You are just a coward, who don't want to stand behind his actions!"

"She was there too. You know that you need two to tango, right?"

"Of course, Eric, but she is the only one who was left alone with consequences. She even didn't tell Christina about it."

"You said, that Candor had told you. How did you know about all these things?"

"Amanda told me about Tris and her pregnancy, so I pushed Christina and she told me about the kiss. Then I reminded myself, the night I was in the control room and saw you and Tris on the roof. So I figured it out. Tris probably was too ashamed of all this, so she decided not to tell anyone about you two. I wanted to respect her decision. Your secret is safe with me for a while, but I am not sure for how long."

"What do you want to do?" – I asked him.

"I don't know Eric. The only thing I know, is that neither Tris nor her baby deserves to be a lab rat. I am not going to let Jeanine to do this to them. Think about what I told you, but remember that my offer of cooperation is limited in time" – after saying that, Four left.

 _I stayed in the bar longer than Four, thinking about his offer and drinking. In that moment it was unacceptable. I couldn't be a father to anyone, besides I was a leader and I had a mission to complete. After some hours of drinking, I went to my apartment and fall asleep immediately. I woke up at 8.55. I had a terrible hangover, but when I looked at my clock I realized that in five minutes I have to be in infirmary. At 9.10 I was in place. I knocked to the examination room and came in._

"You're late Eric. I bet you spent too much time in the bar" – Jeanine said to me.

"I am sorry for being late but…" – I answered but my sentence was interrupted by strange noise.

"What is that noise?" – I asked Jeanine.

"Oh, that is probably a heartbeat of the fetus. Tris is behind hanging" – saying this she opened the curtain.

 _I was standing right behind the Jeanine. Tris was lying in a bed, while the gynecologist was doing an ultrasound. Beating was vibrant and very strong. On the screen I saw a blip. Tris eyes were filled up with tears. I wasn't sure what I felt in that moment, but I really wanted to hold Tris in my arms and assure her that everything will be fine._

"All right, you see that blip is your baby" – the doctor told to Tris.

"According to your cycle and its size you are five weeks pregnant. Here you can see developing eye and there is arm bud and leg bud. I don't see any damages, which might have been caused by fighting. But taking into account that you are very weak, dehydrated and today you had a bleeding, I advise you to stay in the infirmary until the end of third month of your pregnancy."

"What did you say? Was she bleeding? Is it serious and can cause a danger to the baby?" – I don't know why, but I asked the doctor.

 _Jeanine looked at me with disbelief, so did Tris. Due to this fact, I added._

"I want to know, because that can interfere our project"

 _Jeanine was reassured but Tris rolled her eyes and sighed. I knew what she was thinking._

"Bleeding can be dangerous in the very beginning of the pregnancy. At the moment it is not serious, but I want to control it on regular basis"- she answered smiling.

"When is her due date?".

"It should be around 15 March. At the moment Tris, I recommend you a lot of sleep, eat properly and avoiding stress. The next ultrasound will be in two months time. Then we will see if you can go home."

"Thank you doctor for your time" – said Jeanine.

"I am going to talk to Max. I will be back soon, so Eric stay here for a while"

 _I nodded, looking at Tris._

 **Tris POV**

 _Since yesterday, my whole world turned upside down. I was pregnant and I will be a single mother at age 18. I wanted to change my life, but I didn't imagine in what direction it would go. I loved this guy and I trusted him and that's what happened to me. I was so stupid. I've always believed in my gut feeling and this is the result of it. I am not sure what kind of life this kid would have, since Jeanine has put her hand on it. In addition this jerk is staring at me._

"What do you want?" – I said loudly.

"How are you feeling?" – Eric asked me.

"How do I look like?"

"I don't know…I wanted to know how do you feel, but not physically but emotionally?"

"Oh, how sweet of you Eric" – I said it in sarcastic way and added.

"I am not going to tell you how I feel, because it is none of your business. I am the victim of a rape. Now, I need peace and quiet. More stress might cause more bleeding and then my baby and your project will be at risk" – I said that gazing at him and smirking.

"Do you want something to drink?" – Eric wasn't giving in.

"No, I am not thirsty. I'm perfectly fine."

"All right Eric, me and Max established some things and we know what to do" – Jeanine was back.

"Tris I need you to listen carefully. Since now, you are under the supervision of geneticists and gynecologists. You will stay in the infirmary until the end of third month. We will run some tests here, but the most important tests will be run after your labor. We don't want to risk that something bad will happen to fetus or you. You both are really precious for our research. You are not cut, so you don't have to be worry about being factionless. Your training was suspended. Since today, Eric is personally responsible for your protection. Today, we will install some microphones and additional cameras here. Do you have any questions."

"I assume that I and my baby will be lab rats. What do you want to do with us?"

"After the labor, we will transport you to Erudite headquarter. At the moment it is impossible, because we work there on special project. I don't want to inform everybody that I have finally found Divergent and I can proceed some research. It would be too soon. Besides, I still need to work on some serums for you and the fetus."

"What about my future here in Dauntless?" – I asked her.

"If my serum succeeded, you would be no longer Divergent."

"But what if not?"

"It is difficult to say. You are stronger than your fetus. There is a high chance that you will survive anyway. I am not sure about the fetus. This serum will be extremely strong. So it would be better, if your fetus wasn't Divergent. But to be honest, taking into account you genes, that is almost impossible."

"What about the genes of the father?" –I asked her again.

"I thought about it. This kid from Erudite was sick. I assume that, because of his act of violence. On the other hand he was from Erudite, so he was smart. I want to check the combination of his genes and your genes. But your genes probably would be dominant. By the way, the good news is that, you won't see this Edward anymore. Four reported me about his death in factionless territory two weeks ago."

"To sum up, you don't know what will happen to me or the baby?"

"I am sorry Tris, I don't know your fate. Anything is possible" – she smiled and turned to Eric.

"Eric, I want you to control this room at least twice a day. I will be here on Wednesday." – she said that and left.

 _I started sobbing. I was lonely, pregnant and left in the lurch. I was expecting the baby, whose father turned out to be traitor, not to mention he has never loved me. When I had realized that, I felt so misfortune that sobbing was the only thing, which could ease my pain. Then I saw Eric, who was trying to say something, but instead of that he put his thumb on my cheek and swept away some tears. After that he kneeled down next to my bed and looking into my eyes he said:_

"You heard the doctor Tris. You need to avoid stress and eat properly. Otherwise something bad might happen to this little one. Keep that in your head and remember to eat the plate full of food. Remember Tris to eat the plate full of food" – he stood up, smiled gently and left the room.


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for reviews. The last paragraph of chapter 10, might have been a little bit confusing. Chapter 11 should shed some light on Eric and his behavior.

 **Chapter 11**

 **Eric POV**

 _For the first time in my entire life I felt trapped, like a wild animal in a cage. During this ultrasound I had a problem with rational thinking. But when I had heard Jeanine speaking on the fate of the baby and Tris, I knew what was right and what I had to do. I wanted to tell Tris, that everything will be all right. On the other hand, I wasn't sure if telling her about my cooperation with Four would be good at this stage. Besides, I was afraid, that someone could hear that. Maybe, I was a little bit paranoid, but Jeanine said something about additional screens and microphones in the infirmary. That's why, I cited this stupid line on plate and food. Tris used this once, telling me that I had been hiding something from people. I hoped she could read between the lines. I was standing in front of control room, where Four had a day shift. I still hated this guy, but I had no choice, so I decided to come in._

"Four, we need to talk" – I said entering the room.

"About what?" – he answered a little surprised.

"About what you said yesterday."

"Same place, same time Eric."

"Ok then, see you soon."

 _This time I came to the bar on time. Four was sitting in the same place._

"It must be something really serious, because you're on time" – he laughed.

"It's not a time for joking Four. I have just one question. Is your offer still valid?"

"Yes, it is. But why did you change your mind? Something happened?" – he answered.

"Briefly speaking, Jeanine wants to transform Tris and the baby into lab rats. We can't be even sure, if they survive this whole medical experiment" – I sighed.

"So are you trying to say, that you would like to take responsibility for both of them?"

"I realized only one thing. If I did nothing, I would become just like my parents. My father had left me before I was born, whereas my mother didn't care about me. I just can't be like them."

"All right Eric. Did you tell Tris about it?"

"No, I didn't."

"We need to be really careful. Infirmary is not the best place for talking, since Jeanine has decided to place all this electronic devices there. You should reassure Tris in some other way. We can tell her more, when we will find a possibility. But taking into account Tris safety, it would be better to not to tell her all the details."

"What's your plan?" – I asked him.

"Eric, this is really dangerous thing. A lot of people will be engaged in it. Frankly, I am still not sure if I can trust you. So, you must convince me somehow."

"How can I convince you? Should I swear or something? This is the toughest decision in my life. I know that I will betray everything in what I have believed so far. After that, there will be no turning back. I am not even sure what will be after that."

"You know Eric, I think that now you sound like real Dauntless. Have you been in your Fear Landscape lately?"

"Nope, why are you asking?"

"I don't know your fears, but yesterday I was ready to bet that one of them was taking responsible for someone else. Probably this fear has just vanished."

"So, you believe in my intention?"

"Yup, surprisingly I believe you. Answering for your question. Our plan will depend on Jeanine actions. Have you heard something about her plan related to Abnegation?"

"Yup, she mentioned something some weeks ago."

"I have my people in Erudite headquarter. I know that Jeanine wants to abolish Abnegation. She wants to kill thousands of people and take the leadership. At the moment, she is working on serum, which will turn Dauntless members into passive soldiers. I just need to know, when Jeanine wants to attack Abnegation. Whole plan will depend on this particular date."

"Four, are you sure what are you saying?" – I couldn't believe in his words.

"Of course, I am. Jeanine thinks that the highest number of Divergents live in Abnegation. By destroying this faction, she will kill a lot of them. At the same time, Jeanine is working on serum, which could heal Divergents. That's why she needs Tris. To try this serum on her and maybe on her baby. If it succeeded, she would use it on Divergents in other factions. Thanks to this, she will become the leader of all factions and Divergents won't be a threat to the system anymore."

"It makes sense. All right Four, I do my best to get this information. We should be careful. Drinking in the bar or chatting may cause that people start to suspect something. So, this meetings cannot become a habit. Ok. Four I am gonna go. Thank you for your help."

"She deserves that. I hope that your feelings are sincere."

"I said nothing about feelings."

"Yeah, Eric you didn't say it. If I were you, I would try to figure it out sooner. She won't wait for you too long…."

 _Maybe, Four was right. Maybe I had some feelings for Tris. For the first time, I thought about meal for someone else. For the first time, I was ready to help the initiate with training. In addition, for the first time I felt sorry for someone. I couldn't stand her crying in the infirmary, because I had an impression that my heart was being ripped into pieces. Apparently, I felt something, but I couldn't name it. Was it love? No one has ever loved me. No one taught me to love. I didn't know this feeling. I was taught to be brave, not to give up and not to speak about emotions. That's why I was cold and unapproachable. Feeling that way was something new to me. I came back to my apartment. Meeting with Four was hard, but it gave me hope to protect Tris and this baby….my baby._


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 **Two** **months later**

 _Tris has been in the infirmary for nearly two months. Lately, she's been feeling quite well. We talked from time to time, but it was rather casual talking. I found her also calmer, so maybe she had guessed somehow that I was planning to help her. Today Tris will have another checkup. Jeanine would like to perform the attack on Abnegation one week before the labor. That's why today, she needs desperately to establish the day of labor. I was going on my way to the infirmary, when I saw familiar face. It was my own mother. I haven't seen her for four years, since my Choosing Ceremony._

"What the hell are you doing in here" – I asked her.

"It's not the best way to say hello to your mother" – she said nonchalantly.

"Jeanine asked me to come here to examine one initiate. Probably, you heard about knocked up girl from Abnegation. It is really interesting case" – she smirked.

 _More interesting than you even think….._

"I am going there as well" – I was trying to hide my emotions and normal tone of voice.

"Well, I see you are doing here really good. The youngest leader with bright future. I am glad that you cooperate with Jeanine and you are willing to hunt Divergents."

 _Just as I thought. My mother was involved in this as well. It makes me more confident to quit this project as soon as possible._

"Shell we go? It's nearly 9.00 a.m." – I said to her.

 _When we entered to the examination room, Tris looked a little bit surprised._

"Tris this is Elizabeth Coulter – your new doctor" – Jeanine introduced my mother to Tris.

"What happened with doctor Stevenson?" – she asked her.

"She was a good doctor, but you need a brilliant one and doctor Coulter is the best."

 _My mother was on cloud nine. She loved this kind of compliments. She started to analyze the chart of Tris and the outcomes of examinations._

"All right, you know how ultrasound works. I want to check how fetus is doing and is everything is fine" – my mother informed Tris.

 _On the screen, I saw an image of little human, who was more visible than the last time. Everything was in 3D so it made it easier to watch. I also heard a heartbeat, which in my point of view was stronger than before._

"Everything looks good, but fetus length is more than average."

"What's that supposed to mean? Is that bad?" – Tris asked concerned.

"Nothing other than the fetus length is 7 inches, whereas normally it should measure 5-6 inches. Was the father tall?" – she asked Tris coldly.

 _Tris was confused. So did I. Then Jeanine spoke up._

"Eric you've seen this Edward. Was he tall?"

"Yes, he was tall. Something like me" – I responded.

"I thought so, because this girl is not so tall. Answering your question. It's nothing bad. Your baby will be bigger. Eric was also big and I managed to give him birth naturally."

 _I choked on my soda. Is it baby shower or what? We are not here to listen to the story of my life, aren't we? Better finish what you've started and you can go back to the Erudite. I was pissed off. My mother, who didn't care about me at all, was talking about giving me birth. What's more I couldn't stand her sight next to Tris._

"Eric! What's going on with you?" – Jeanine interfered.

"Nothing, we have our project on the way, so apparently we have more things to do, then sticking in here."

"Jeanine, you should get used to Eric's behavior. It's nothing unusual" – she smiled.

"Going back in the patient. If you want to have smooth and painless labor, I recommend you C-section."

"I don't know. In Abnegation it wasn't something frequent and in Dauntless a natural labor proves that you are brave" – Tris answered.

"Ok. I don't have time for your reasoning. Her due is around 15 March. We would like to establish the date of our project and it is connected with her labor. When you can perform it Elizabeth?" – Jeanine asked my mother.

"My proposal is 10th of March. Are you all agree?"

 _We all nodded, but I saw that Tris wasn't sure. She was absent-minded._

"What about your recommendation Elizabeth?" – Jeanine asked again.

"All the exams proved that mother and fetus are healthy. She has no major dizziness. She doesn't have nauseas anymore, vomiting passed and she doesn't bleed. On the other hand, it is not good to her to spend whole nine months in the infirmary. She needs some activities. I recommend her to lead normal life. In two months time, I would like to examine her again."

"Thank you Elizabeth. See you soon then" – Jeanine said to her politely.

"Don't you say good bye to your mother Eric?" – she asked me, staying next to the door.

"Good bye doctor Coulter? – I said sarcastically.

"What do you think Eric?" – Jeanine asked me.

"About what?"

"About letting her go from the infirmary. I don't know where we should place her. She needs to be safe and leaving her in the dormitory is not a good idea. However, leaving her alone in any apartment is risky as well."

"Yes, you're right Jeanine. But what's your proposal?"

"I think that you should be near her. You are responsible for her safety, so I think that the best way is to place her in your apartment."

 _It wasn't a bad idea. I would have an opportunity to talk to Tris and take care of her and the baby. But in presence of Jeanine, I was forced not to seem happy about it and to act in totally different way._

"Do I have any choice?"

"I'm afraid you don't" – she answered sincerely.

"All right, Jeanine but on one condition. No cameras and microphones in my apartment. Maybe Tris is your lab rat, but I'm not and I won't allowed anyone to breach my privacy."

 _Jeanine was thinking._

"I agree but take her with you today. I will ask the nurse to prepare her."

 _In twenty minutes I and Tris were going to my apartment in completely silence. She was holding her bag, because she refused me to take it. It wasn't heavy, but I wanted to help her anyway. I opened the main door and ask her to come in._

"You know my apartment. Make yourself at home. Do you want something to drink?"

"Just some water please" – she answered.

"Tris, I would like to talk with you."

"About what?"

"We have a plan. I mean Four and I have a plan. I cannot describe all the details, but believe me, you will be free."

"Maybe you have a plan. But you cannot be sure if your plan will succeed. It also doesn't change the fact that you have no idea what will be next."

"I don't know what will be next, but I assure you that I will help you both."

"How do you want to help us?"

 _I didn't know how to respond. What should I say? I wasn't sure if I should move in with her or not. So, I was standing there and just watching her._

"You see Eric. You can't answer to it and it was a simple question." – she laughed.

"This question wasn't simple. We should establish something. I cannot declare anything to you, because I don't know what you want or what you think about us."

"Us? Do you hear yourself? There is no us. Something like us doesn't exist. You told me, who I had been to you. I meant nothing to you, no strings attached, remember?"

"Maybe something has changed."

 _When she heard that, she started to laugh out loud._

So you don't believe me? But at least you should believe in your gut feeling."

"The last time, I believed in my gut feeling was four months ago and now I look like a whale" – she smirked.

"Anyway, I am tired Eric. Where can I sleep?"

"On the bed. I'm gonna take the floor. Do you need anything else."

"No, I'm fine. You can go back to your work and don't forget to lock the door. I heard what Jeanine told you about it" – she smirked again.

 _I sighed and went out. I came back to my apartment late at night. It was almost 11.00 p.m. Tris was sleeping, so I decided to take a shower and lie down on the floor._

 _Time was flying fast. I was engaged in Jeanine's project and in my cooperation with Four. Jeanine established the date of attack on 3_ _rd_ _March. She wanted to transform Tris to the Erudite headquarter on 10_ _th_ _March and ask my mother to perform C-section. This was a reason, why we decided to take Tris from Dauntless territory exactly on 3_ _rd_ _March, during this whole mess. I wanted to persuade Tris that my intentions were sincere, but it was a mission impossible. Tris didn't believe me anymore. We barely spoke to each other. She has been in good health condition so far. It was almost fifth month, when I found out something strange in her behavior. She wasn't herself. She became picky and moody._

 _Today, I was sleeping on the floor like usually, when I heard terrible sobbing. I switched the light on and saw Tris standing near the fridge. She was crying like a baby, holding her belly._

"Tris what happened? Is it something wrong with the baby? Are you in pain?" – I shouted full of concern.

 _She was still sobbing and couldn't answer my question. I placed her on the chair and asked again. Then she said:_

"You have no ice-cream and pickles in the fridge."

 _I was stunned and I rolled eyes. It was a middle of the night and she couldn't stop crying, because we run out of pickles and ice-cream?_

"Ok. Calm down, stop crying and listen to me. In the morning, I will go to the store and buy you whatever you want. Now you should go to sleep."

 _She looked into my eyes and started to cry again. Apparently, I was hopeless in reassuring her. I was wearing only my sweatpants, so I put a sweater and boots on._

"Tris, look at me! Go straight to the bed. I will be right back with pickles and ice-cream."

 _Her smiled lit up her face and she nodded smiling. Geez, she acted like a baby. I hoped that it won't last forever. Otherwise, I will have two small kids on my mind. I wasn't sure, where I should go to find this freaking ice-cream and pickles. Then something enlightened me. Kitchen was closed, but I found screwdriver and opened it. It wasn't difficult to find ice-cream, but finding some pickles was a challenge. Men in Dauntless loved them. Probably, that's why I was able to find one last jar with the last pickle inside of it. I put ice-cream and this jar on the plastic bag and I went to my apartment. When I came to my bedroom, Tris was sitting on the bed. She was wearing only a tight T-shirt. Lately, her belly has become more swollen and her breasts have been well-rounded. It made that she looked more beautiful than ever._

"Did you find it?" – she asked me when she saw me.

"Yes, there you have your chocolate and vanilla ice-cream and teaspoon"

"Could you hand me a spoon. Teaspoon is too small."

 _I was looking at her, while she was eating these ice-cream, like she has never eaten anything like this before. She was purring and she was squelching. It was childish and funny. I couldn't take my eyes from her, so I was standing there enjoying the show. She probably noticed it, because in one moment she said:_

"I am sorry Eric, but I'm not gonna share with you. I love this ice-cream and this flavor is my favorite. But wait a minute? Did you forget about pickles" – she added having tears in her eyes again.

"No, no Tris, but it was only one left in the jar" – I was afraid of her reaction.

 _She stood up and take the jar from my hand. Then she sat on the bed again, opened the jar and ate the pickle immediately. I sat down next to her and I asked:_

"Was it tasty?"

"Yes, everything was delicious and I think the baby likes it as well"- she smiled.

"How do you know this?" – I asked her.

"It's been active recently. Mostly after my meals."

"So, are you telling me that it is moving right now?"

"Yes, right now. Oh here!" – she said and put my hand on her belly.

"Do you feel it?" – Tris asked me again.

 _I nodded, because I was too touched to say something meaningful. This feeling was incredible. It wasn't kicking but soft tapping, which made me feel a connection between me and this kid._

"Thank you" – I said to Tris.

"For what? You brought me ice-cream and pickle, remember?"

"But you let me to feel it."

"Incredible, huh? "- she asked me while she was still massaging her belly.

"Yes, it was unbelievable. Sleep well Tris" – I stood up.

Before I turned off the light, I had looked at Tris and I had heard her saying"

"Thank you Eric."

 _For the first time, since we have moved in together Tris seemed to be happy around me. It gave me a hope, to believe that maybe I didn't lose her completely. I also understood that actions spoke louder than worlds._


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 **Eric POV**

 _I have already finished my workout and I was going to my apartment to change. Four asked me to take part in a meeting with Johanna Reyes – Amity's representative. Four engaged Amity in our plan. Jeanine was working on serum, which would transform Dauntless members into cruel soldiers. Simultaneously, in the unofficial headquarter of Factionless, controlled by his mother, some former Erudites were working on similar serum. We wanted to create it, to let Max's guard down. Thanks to this serum, all the commands, that would be ordered by Jeanine, could be interchanged. Unfortunately, it wasn't so easy to gather all the ingredients to produce it, so Johanna was asked to help us._

 _When I came to my apartment, Tris was sitting in the kitchen doing needlework. She smiled at me and said "hi". Since "ice-cream and pickles night" she has become nicer to me. I entered to the bedroom, looking for my jeans and T-shirt. Lately, I have received some new clothes destined for leaders. I found only my jeans, but two out of three of my new T-shirts disappeared. I was wearing the last one._

"Tris, have you seen my new T-shirts?" – I asked her.

"Oh, were they new?" – she responded silently.

"What do you mean by "were"?

"Yesterday, I was in the Dauntless stores with Amanda. I wanted to buy some things for the baby. Unfortunately, there was nothing for newborns, so I decided to sew something" – Tris stated.

 _I approached to her and I saw my two T-shirts, which were completely cut out. I was overwhelmed, but Tris was excited and she was continuing._

"Do you like it? These are rompers and I am working on some blouses. Luckily, your T-shirts were really big and I have a lot of fabrics" – she smiled.

"Are you insane? Did you really destroy my clothes for this? Why didn't you buy some fabrics?!"

 _I was really pissed off. She should have at least asked me. What the hell she was thinking? The facial expression of Tris changed immediately after my outburst. She looked like she was insulted and hurt._

"I am completely sane Eric! That's why, I know that my baby will have nothing to wear. My due is in March and it won't be really warm then. Since, there was no newborn clothes or fabrics in the stores, I had no choice and I decided to prepare something. I know that you don't care about this baby, but believe me, your damn attitude won't stop me to provide him or her all the necessary things!" – saying this she balled the rest of my T-shirts at me and slammed the door to my bedroom.

 _Geez, what was that? I have never seen her so teed-off. Of course, she didn't understand me at all. I put some old long-sleeved shirt on and went to Amity headquarter._

 _Meeting with Johanna succeeded. She agreed to provide all the necessary supplies, so we had a chance to finish the prototype of serum quite soon. I was walking down the main avenue of Amity, which leaded directly to railway tracks, when I saw the shop window. I looked around, because I didn't want to be noticed and I moved into. I hated shopping and being in this particular store was too much, but I overcome my reluctance._

"Hello! Can I help you?" – sales assistant asked me immediately.

"I…I am looking for. Actually, I don't know what I am looking for" – I said frankly.

"I see. Young daddies are usually unfamiliar to those things" – she said smiling at me.

 _I didn't deny that I will be a father, what really surprised me. The truth was that, I really knew nothing about all these stuff._

"Here we have everything for kids under three years old. How old is your baby?"

"No, it hasn't been born yet. The due is in March" – I chuckled.

"So, you need things for newborn. Is it a girl or a boy?" – she was continuing.

"I don't know the gender. Why do you need all these details?" – I asked suddenly.

"You from Dauntless are all the same, so impatient. I need them to advise you what to buy" – she smiled.

"Normally, babies after born are 17 to 21 inches, so I can show you what we have for newborns in neutral colors and in this size."

"This baby will be bigger… at least 1 inch. That's the doctor said…." – I said proudly.

"I am not surprised. Looking at you it's understandable. All right, I think that in the beginning you should buy some essential things. If I were you, I would consult what you need with your wife and then you can come back here before the labor and buy the rest" – she smiled again.

 _I hated Amities. They were so disgustingly happy, probably because of these drugs. This sales assistant was the same one. She showed me rompers, diapers, pacifiers and cosmetics for newborns. She was talking about pink, blue, green, yellow colors. I didn't give a damn about all these things. I just wanted to buy a few things to make Tris happy. I also cared about what my kid will wear, especially during cold days. I just haven't thought about it earlier…._

 _I bought some stuff and was on my way back home. Fortunately, three months ago all the leaders had agreed to establish the law, which enabled us to pay in the other factions in our currency. I had some savings, because I hated shopping and usually didn't do it._

 **Tris POV**

 _I've almost finished sewing these togs. Unfortunately, I had only black fabrics, if I could called that Eric's T-shirts. I didn't know what pissed me off more, his complaining about ruining his clothes or the fact that he didn't care about the baby. After, he brought me ice-cream and pickles, I thought that maybe something has changed. I was stupid again, thinking that this guy could change. He will be a selfish asshole till the end of his life._

"Tris, where are you?" – oh, I see, he came back.

 _I wasn't going to respond him._

"What are you doing?" – he asked.

"Nothing particular. I am sewing as you can see."

 _He actually looked weird. He was smirking and hiding something behind his back._

"I have something for you. Maybe not exactly for you, but it should make you happy" – he smiled at me.

"May I sit next to you?" – he added.

"Yup….you can….." – he sat next to me on the bed, still smiling and he gave me a medium sized paper bag.

I opened the bag and I brought out: a romper, a blouse, a coat, a cap, a scarf, gloves and a small blanket. They were made with green and yellow velour, decorated with puppet clowns and balloons. It must have been a set. In addition, I found some diapers and two little pacifiers in the bag.

"My goodness!….Did you buy it by yourself?! When?!, where?!, how?! They are beautiful, so tiny and colorful!…."

 _I didn't know what to do. I wanted to scream and jump at the same time. I also had tears in my eyes and I was completely in shock. Probably, that's why I hugged Eric and kissed him on the cheek…._


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 **Eric POV**

 _Tris hugged me and kissed me on the cheek. Immediately, I clung to her, wrapping my hands around her back. I wanted to hold her like that forever, massaging her body and smelling her scent. Suddenly, she pulled away saying:_

"Sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"Of course, you meant it" – I interrupted her.

"What are you implying?"

"That you are telling me total bullshit Tris. You are not the kind of girl, who does something against her will. You wanted to sleep with me and you did it. A few seconds ago, you wanted to hug me, so you hugged me. You are not a brainless creature."

"Apparently, I wasn't that smart five months ago."

"Here we go again. You have been telling me this crap for five months. I know that you didn't plan it and you didn't want to be a mother at 18 and during initiation. But this happened, so come to terms with it."

 _Tris was staring at me speechless, so I was continuing._

"Think in that way Tris. If you could turn back time, what would you do? Would you sleep with me? I said I was sorry and I really meant it. I didn't want to hurt you. I am not good in expressing feeling, but seriously are you blind or you don't want to see what I've been doing lately. For over a month, I've been sacrificing for you and our baby. I satisfied your cravings in the middle of the night. Today, I made a fool of myself in the darn baby shop. Maybe, you should start to get what I've been constantly trying to tell you."

 _Maybe, Tris was astonished, because she didn't say anything. I decided to go to sleep, so I dashed to the kitchen, where I had my bedding. I was tired and I didn't want to argue with her anymore. Unfortunately, my blood pressure probably was too high, because I couldn't sleep. There came the sound of the door being unlocked and I saw Tris standing next to the table._

"I wanna talk. May I sit down?" – she said

"Yup, sure…." – I pointed at my bedding.

"Geez, your bedding is totally comfortless. Why do you sleep in this conditions?"

"They didn't have a spare mattress in the storage. Anyway, I don't complain."

"Eric, can we speak honestly?"

"Yes, I think we can and we even should" – I smiled a little bit.

"First of all, I'd like to thank you for your gift or rather gifts. You didn't have to buy all these things. Probably, they were expensive….. but I appreciate it. You had right. I really like them and you made me feel happy. Actually, I haven't been so happy for four months"

"What did you feel, when you found out about your pregnancy?"

"I didn't believe in it. It was a shock for me. I didn't want to have a baby. I wasn't ready. Probably, I'm still not ready. But the worst thing of all this, was the fact that you…." – she stopped saying it and she turned her head from me.

"That I was the father?" – I finished her sentence.

"No, the worst thing was that you turned out to be a traitor, who wanted to catch Divergent. Then, I understood that this baby was a side effect of your mission. It made me feel terrible and for a moment I wanted to turn back time and erase this night in your apartment."

"For a moment?" – I looked at her surprised.

"Yes, after that I heard the heartbeat of my baby. Answering for your question, now I don't think that turning back time would be the best idea, because he or she wouldn't be inside of me then. Maybe, it's not the perfect time and I'm too young, but I love this baby and I want to have it" – saying this she put her hand on her belly.

"Is it the only reason, why you don't regret it?" – I asked her.

"No, I fall in love with you. I wanted to make love to you, because I loved you and I trusted you. That's why I chose you….."

 _I grabbed the face of Tris in my hands and I moved closer to her._

"Listen to me Tris. One day I will tell you the story of my life. I don't think I am ready for it at the moment. You should know only one thing. The other night I had a meeting with Jeanine. She told me that you might be Divergent. I knew that our relationship would have no future. That is the reason, why I told you all these things. I didn't think logically then and I didn't know what I really felt. I have never felt anything like this before, so I couldn't name it. The only thing I know now, is that I care about you and our baby."

"Eric, I'm scared. I see that you really do your best. But believe me, it is really hard to regain someone's trust. I don't want to grow attached to you for some reasons. I am not sure if we manage to escape from Jeanine. What if something bad will happen to you? What if we manage, but you will change your mind and leave me again? What if I and our baby attach to you but you will leave us again? I got used to this thought, that I will be a single mother. I don't want to be hurt again. I think it would kill me"

"Tris, I swear I will do all my best to regain your trust. I want to be for you and this baby and I will prove it. Just give me a chance. All I need is one more chance…."

 _Tris was still looking at me. We were so close that I felt her breathing. She had some tears in her eyes. Then she got up from my bedding and offered a hand to me._

"Well Eric, since you want to regain my trust, I think I can take a risk and let you share my bed" – she smirked.

"Are you sure?" – I asked her stunned.

"I believe you won't do anything stupid" – she answered.

"Yup, I won't. Unless…" – I chuckled.

"Unless what?"- she asked.

"Unless you want to do something stupid"

 _She shrugged, made a fierce look and said:_

"In your dreams. Are you going or not?"

 _I took her hand and I followed her directly to our bed._


	15. Chapter 15

Lately, I've been very busy, so I didn't have much time to update. Thank you again for following my story. I am not sure when I find some time to update it again. I will try as soon as possible, but I can't promise anything.

 **Chapter 15**

 **Eric POV**

 _I was lying on the bed. Tris was next to me. This was our first night in the same bed, since she's moved in. Tris was reposing on her back. She was wearing her shorts and T-shirt, which pulled up a little bit, so I had a possibility to watch her belly. I pushed close to Tris, when I heard:_

"What are you doing Eric?"

"Umm, I just wanted to watch, but never mind….." – I stammered.

Tris turned her head to me and she said: "You know Eric, my belly is still a part of my body, but if you really want to be a father of this baby, go ahead and watch it as long as you want".

 _I grinned from ear to ear and immediately I kneeled next to her swollen belly. I was holding my hands in front of my body, not knowing if I could touch her. I didn't want to do any inconsiderate move._

"I won't consider your hand on my belly as a sexual harassment" – Tris said smiling to me.

 _I was really surprised, that she read me like an open book. So I just smiled her back and put my hand on top of her belly._

"You know, it's fucking amazing. I've been watching your abdomen since the beginning of your pregnancy and I am really astonished how it changed. Now it is so real, that it is there."

"True, but you shouldn't swear. Amanda told me that in fifth month a baby could hear us" – she said seriously.

"Are you sure?" – I was puzzled.

"Yes, I'm positive. You can say something to her."

"But what can I say? I don't know what to say. But wait a minute. Did you say her? Is it a girl?"

"I don't know. It's just my hunch. Frankly, I can't wait to find out"- she said dreamily.

 _I was running my hand lightly from the top of her swollen belly to its lower part. Then I felt something like a knocking. I froze in that moment and I placed another hand to her abdomen._

"Now it's perfectly normal in the morning. The baby is growing and doesn't have a lot of space in there. That's why you can feel this kick in a better way" – Tris explained it.

"Wow, it's becoming stronger. One thing is certain. This baby is really strong and it got it from the father."

"You know what, you sounded like you were proud…" – she said it like she was surprised by her own statement.

"Maybe because I am proud. This boy will get a beauty from his mother and a strength from his father."

"Boy? Are you hiding something from me?" – Tris asked me.

"No, it's just my inkling"- I smirked.

 _The baby was still kicking, when I decided to do something totally spontaneous. I bended down to the belly and kissed it gently saying:_ "I do care about you".

 _Tris gasped but she didn't comment it. This awkward silence was interrupted by my alarm clock._

"I have to go" – I got up from the bed.

"It's only 7.00 a.m. and you usually start your work at 9.00 a.m."- Tris responded.

"Today I have day off. Unfortunately, I can't stay any longer, since I have a meeting" – I answered.

"Another mysterious meeting. Why don't you want to tell me about you plan. I want to know all the details, since I am part of it."

"It's dangerous and we want to keep it from you as long as we can. You will find out in right moment."

"Eric, you treat me like a baby but I am not a baby anymore. I am a grown up women."

"I know you are" – I smirked.

"You know what. Since you don't want to tell me anything about this top secret plan, get your ass and your dirty mind elsewhere!"

 _So, a nice Tis disappeared and instantly she was replaced by her pissed off doppelganger. This girl was driving me crazy but in the same time I was attracted to her even more than five months ago._

 _I put on my clothes and promptly went out from my apartment. Tris was butthurt, so she just ignored my farewell. At 8.00 a.m. I had a meeting in Factionless headquarter, so I wanted to be on time. I jumped off the train and I was heading toward the main entrance, then I saw Four with a random guy. I approached them and I was going to introduce myself, when I felt a punch._

"What the fuck was that?"

 _I said it and I clench my fist but Four grabbed it._

"Eric, this is Caleb Prior, a brother of Tris" – Four said it.

 _I heard of Caleb, who was helping us to defend Jeanine, but I have never met him in person. Apparently, he has something_ _against me. I can even guess what it was, but I wanted to act like a fool for a while._

"So, what the hell was that Caleb?" –I asked him.

"That was for Tris. I can work with you, but I wanted you to know that I don't like the fact that you got my sister pregnant."

"That's what I thought. I usually fight back, but if I were in your shoes, I would punch the guy as well. But just for your information. It was the only one exception from my rule. Punch me again and no one will protect you from me. Just a warning."

 _Caleb was staring at me without any word and said:_

"How is she feeling? Is she fine? When I can see her?"

"She's fine. The baby is fine too. You can't see her, it's too dangerous for them"

"What about the project?" – I asked him.

"I have already checked the serum which was produced here. It looks, smells and tastes the same as the serum invented in Erudite. Your job is to transport it to Dauntless headquarter on time."

"Did you let know people in Abnegation about the war?" – I asked Caleb.

"If you mean by people in Abnegation my parents. Yes, they know. They are prepared."

"Did you tell them about Tris."

"Yes, I told them. For your record, they don't like you. They wanted better life for Tris, but they will support her when you will leave her."

"A beg your pardon? Who said I will leave her?!" – I asked him almost shouting.

"You are from Erudiate. I know something about you. A guy like you, I can even say a player like you won't take responsibility for my sister and her baby."

"You know nothing about me Caleb. I'm not going into this right now. I have many other things to do and explaining myself in front of you is not one of them. Do we need to discuss something else in here?"

"I take your silence for an answer. So till next time."

"Wait!" – Caleb screamed.

"What?"

"Give it to her. It's a book. I think she might be disoriented and this book explains everything."

 _I took this book from him and I read the title "What to know when you're expecting."_

 _This meeting was the weirdest of all my meetings, which I have had so far. Caleb was a kind of boring nerd, but he could hit. He even tore my upper lip. I was thinking about the whole situation, when I heard a scream. It was Tris. Clearly, one jerk had forgotten to lock the door before he went out….._


	16. Chapter 16

It's been a while since my last update. Finally, I have coped with some professional issues and I can continue my story. Today, I noticed that my fanfic has 50 followers, not to mention 20 people added it to favorite. I really appreciate it. Sorry in advance for any spelling mistakes. It's 2 a.m. but I am pretty sure that I have to post it, otherwise it will take me another week to update.

 **Chapter 16**

 **Eric POV**

 _I was running down the corridor and from the distance I saw Tris who was struggling with Peter. I approached to him and grabbed him from behind. He pitched on the ground and I started to punch him on his face. Tris was still screaming and I felt someone's strong arm on my back. It was Four. He dragged me away saying:_

What the hell are you doing Eric? Do you really want to kill him?

 _I saw that Tris was pale and she looked horrified, so I asked Four to take Peter to the infirmary and I took Tris in my arms asking her if she was all right. Of course she lied to me, saying that she was fine. That's why I carried her to our apartment. I put her on the bed. I didn't want to have this conversation right now, but I was positive that sooner or later we have to talk._

Tris look at me…. Are you all right?

I told you I was fine - she answered with no hesitation.

Yes, you told me that, but you need to be honest. It's not about you anymore. Think about the baby…..

Peter wanted to punch me on my face – she told me quietly.

Can you tell me why?

Mostly, because he hates me. He has always hated me, since the first day of our training. Today, when I was going for a walk I met him near the chasm. He hasn't seen me for months, so he sneered and said something about Abnegation.

About Abnegation? Tris we established that we need to be honest with each other.

I….I mean you don't understand it…

 _I was sitting next to her. I put my hand around her beck and take her tiny fist into my other hand. She put her head on my shoulder and I saw a tear which was running down her cheek._

Hush Tris. Now you are safe. You are both safe. I won't let anyone hurt you. Remember that. But the best way to get rid of your worries is to tell someone what is bothering you. So if you need a shoulder to cry on, I'm next to you.

 _Tris looked at me. Her face was maybe 2 inches from my face. She sighed saying:_

I know that Peter is a jerk. But he told me that he hadn't realized that the best whores came from Abnegation. He also added that I must have been really distracted by doing it, since I forgot to take my shot. I didn't want to stay there, being consequently insulted, so I slapped him. Peter wasn't gentlemen, which didn't surprise me, but even I didn't expect that he may hit a pregnant woman. In the last moment I grabbed his hand…

Tris, I am really sorry. I should have killed him…

No, Eric…She said it and turn his head. I changed my position and kneeled down in front of her.

Tell me Tris, what are you thinking about?

I don't know…. Maybe... Maybe Peter…..

What maybe? – I asked impatiently.

Maybe Peter was right. I mean… I jumped into your bed too fast. I ended up pregnant and alone in your apartment. Everyone moved on, but not me.

What are you talking about? You have friends. Will, Al, Candor visit you. You have Amanda and me….

Yes, that is what I am talking about. Will, Al and Christina have finished their training recently and they visit me from time to time. Amanda is also very busy. And you…. You lock me every single day in your apartment like a prisoner.

It was an order. We have a plan and we don't want to destroy it. That's why I am following these orders. On the other hand, this order wasn't that stupid. The first time you have abandoned my apartment and Peter almost tanned your hide – I said to her.

Eric! Did you hear what I said. I am lonely and I have already discovered what people think about me….

What people? Peter? You have stated that he was a jerk. Why do you even care what he said?

Because I am eighteen year old girl who is carrying a child. I am lonely and I have no future. I don't even know if I am going to survive this whole crap. Peter made that I realized this pathetic situation – Tris sighed deeply.

Listen to me Tris. You told me why you slept with me. Don't you ever dare to care about what the other people think. It was your decision. No, it was our decision. You made it, because you were sure what you were doing. No one has any right to judge you. All over the world people have babies. Everyone knows from where babies come. Without sex our species will be no longer exist. By the way, did you know that whores do it for money? – I smiled at her.

You are right, but I am pregnant and I have understood that I didn't even go for a date. Not to mention, I don't know the name of the father of my baby. That's why it affected me so much. What's more I have no fucking idea, what is going on with me. In one moment I am happy and after few seconds I can cry like a baby. It kills me Eric…

 _I stood up from the floor and I sat again next to Tris. I wanted to comfort her but I wasn't sure how. I decided to take her in my arms one more time. The first time I did it, she said nothing, so apparently it wasn't too much for her._

You know my name. I'm Eric and you are emotional because of hormones – I answered her.

Is it your real name? Was it your name in Erudite? – she asked me again.

Nope…. It's my little secret. I didn't want to tell it to anybody.

Don't you want to tell me? – her voice was shaking again. _I didn't want to make her cry. She had a crappy evening._

First of all tell me if you are fine. I need to be sure.

Yes, we are totally fine. Peter didn't hurt us.

Did you eat something?

Yes, I was in the dining room. I am a little bit sleepy – she answered.

So, I have the following proposal. You are going to bed. I am going to lay next to you and I am going to tell you a story of a boy from Erudite.

 _Tris did what I said and I laid next to her. I involuntary put my hand on her belly and she squinted._

I don't sleep Eric. I am listening your story.

Once upon a time in Erudite headquarter lived a boy, whose name was Ebenezer. He…..

 _As I thought Tris bestirred and hid his laugh then she said:_

Your real name is Ebenezer? Oh, now I can totally understand why you are hiding it.

 _Then Tris started to laugh out loud. I smacked her arm and laughed too. In the next moment she put her lips on my cheek and said unexpectedly:_

Thank you Eric for telling me that and for being a shoulder to cry on. I really needed it tonight.

 _I switched off the light and holding her in my arms I told her:_

The pleasure was all mine…..


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

 **Eric POV**

 _I couldn't sleep. I was thinking about the whole crazy day, when I heard Tris._

You didn't tell me what happened to your lips – she said.

How do you know that I'm awake?- I asked her.

Because you don't snore – she laughed.

I don't snore!

Oh, you do. Maybe not loudly, but you snore – she laughed again.

 _I switched on the light and looked into her eyes._

So, are you going to tell me what happened to your lips – she asked me again.

Nothing particular. I met your brother….

What! Are you trying to tell me that Caleb hit you?! – she was shocked.

Oh, yes he did hit me. Actually his strike was pretty strong.

Why did he do that? – Tris was continuing.

Because I impregnated you.

 _Tris sighed. She looked worried._

So, Caleb and my parents know about us?

Yes, they know.

Could you cough up Eric! It's not an interrogation – now she was nervous….

What do you want to know? – I asked her.

Everything what you heard from Caleb.

All right. Briefly speaking. They hate me and they don't trust me. However they will support you. They still love you.

 _Tris was moved. She said nothing. I wanted to cheer her up, but in the same moment I reminded myself about the book. I took my backpack and give it to her._

Caleb asked me to hand it to you. It's about pregnancy.

I see he remembered about it – she smiled a little bit.

About what?- I asked her.

I didn't like Biology. It was so boring, that I skipped some classes, which were devoted to pregnancy, labor and childbed. Little did I know, that one year later I would need this knowledge…..

 _She still must have been worried, because she put her head on my shoulder._

I don't know a lot about pregnancy, but I took part in labor and heard a lot of childbed.

 _Tris arose immediately. She stared at me in wonder stuttering….._

H..How?

You know my mother. She was working all the time when I was a kid. I spent my childhood in the hospital among midwives. One of them almost raised me. I witnessed a lot of labors and I heard some advices on dos and don'ts after labor. I don't know a lot of pregnancy symptoms, because I also wasn't interested in this part at school and my mother didn't tell me about it either.

I don't know what to say Eric. I thought that your childhood was perfect…..- Tris said it giving me apologetic look.

It was far from perfect. Fortunately it is behind me….

To sum up, you can tell me what will happen to me in three and a half months – she asked me smiling a little bit.

No, I'm not going to tell you anything about it. You will have a plenty of time to ask my favorite midwife. I asked her to explain you everything and accompany you during the childbirth.

Is it going to hurt me? – Tris asked me.

 _I felt that she was afraid about it, but she wanted to look more brave that she was in reality._

I think that you don't have to think about it right now. Are you sleepy?

No, I would like to read this book. At least the symptoms of second trimester. Shall we?

Fine, I am going to read it out loud….. Let me see. The chapter devoted to second trimester is on page 43.

There is the list of symptoms during the second trimester – I told her.

All right. You can read it and we will check what is correct – she proposed.

 _It's going to be funny I thought to myself._

I'm going to read it aloud and you are going to say check. Is that clear- I smiled to her.

Yup, it is clear – she smiled back.

Here is the typical list of symptoms during the second trimester:

Cravings?

Checked.

 _I can agree with that. It was me who was looking for pickles in the middle of the night._

Skin changes?

Checked.

 _True. Tris is even more beautiful now._

Breast enlargement? – I smirked.

Checked. Why are you smirking Eric? – she looked pretty angry at me.

I just knew the answer. Hey, I'm not blind and it is…..

Oh, don't you ever dare to finish your sentence. I'm not going to get into this conversation – now she was furious.

It wasn't me, who started it….

But it was me who finished it. Shall we continue? – she said impatiently.

Frequent urination?

Tell me about it. Checked – she sighed.

Mood swings?

We both know the answer Eric. Double checked.

Umm, umm

What?

Nothing, I think it's too late to continue. We can finish it tomorrow.

No way! You are going to read it right now!

If you say so…

Stronger sex drive?

Are you serious?! I don't believe it! You made it up!

No Tris. Just look at this sentence.

 _I gave her a book. She rolled her eyes. Her cheeks were red and she looked really, really upset._

Well Tris, are you going to answer it? I don't know what to mark – I was fleering.

Go the hell Eric and take with you this damn book. They wrote all the bullshits in there – she answered.

How can that be? You have already checked five out of six answers – I told her seriously but deep down inside I was laughing out loud.

I'm sleepy. It's the middle of the night. Could you switch off the light – Tris yawned but I was sure she was faking.

 _I switched off the light but I couldn't refrain from saying._

You know Tris. If you need any kind of release I'm right next to you.

 _Then I felt a huge pillow on my face. She was pissed. Apparently, Caleb helped me to reveal another secret which Tris was hiding…_


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Can you tell me how to please a girl – I asked Four when I entered into bar.

 _Four chocked on his drink and looked at me like he saw a flying pig._

It can't be ! Eric, the greatest stud muffin in Dauntless is asking me for sex tips?

 _I rolled my eyes._

Of course, I am not asking you for that! I meant something else.

So, what did you mean?

Tris was talking about dates. She has never been on a date, so I was thinking….

Are you going to ask her to go on a date with you? Well, I didn't see it coming – he was mocking.

Frankly, I don't know Eric, what you expect me to say. You have my blessing, so if you just ask her– he was smirking.

 _If I didn't need his advice, I swear I would punch him in the face._

To be honest, I know nothing about dates. So, I thought that maybe you can enlighten me – I told him.

Now I got it. You are just asking me for advice. But seriously, you know nothing about dates?! How could it be? I saw you a dozen times with girls. Are you trying to tell me that you….

I interrupted him, saying – Yup, Four it is exactly what you were trying to say. I met them here or there and we usually ended up in my place. No dates, no flowers, no exchanging of phone numbers…..

So what do you want to know?- he asked me sipping his drink.

I need some basics, such as where to go?

I think, that you should order something. It will be long conversation – Four laughed.

 _After thirty minutes, Four asked me about gifts._

Did you buy her anything ?

Of course, I bought some things to wear….

What exactly, a dress? – he was asking me doggedly.

No, I mean, I bought some clothes for the baby…

 _Four rolled his eyes, giving me a pity look_.

Are you saying, that you have never bought her any gift? – he asked again.

I stole for her a jar of pickles and ice-cream, if that counts – I answered.

Geez, I knew that you are far from romantic type of guy, but now I think that you are like a caveman. Did it ever cross your mind, that pregnant woman needs to feel that someone care about her?

That's why I bought some things for the baby.

Exactly, for the baby! In that way, you proved that you care for the baby. But Tris and the baby is not the same thing. Don't treat her like an incubator.

 _I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to agree with him. I asked him for advice, but I hated to admit that Four knew more about relationships than I. It was frustrating and it was driving me crazy. On the other hand, I had to swollen my pride and listen to him, because obviously he had some other things to share._

Maybe flowers or chocolates, what do you think? - he asked me.

What?

Eric, are you listening to me?

Yes, you were talking about flowers. Don't you think it's too cliché?

Maybe it is, but women love them. Tris won't be any exception, trust me on that.

So, what kind of flowers do you recommend me to buy – I asked him but he didn't have any chance to finish, because my cell phone rang. It was Jeanine, who was screaming like a fishwife.

 _I ended up our conversation and went to the infirmary. When I came in, I saw Tris who was crying on the bed, furious Jeanine who was shouting at Amanda and my mother._

What happened? – I asked.

Oh Eric, how nice that you are asking – Jeanine said ironically.

It was you, who was responsible for her and you let her idle about the streets of Dauntless with this subnormal nurse.

 _Tris was still crying and I was in shock. I didn't know what happened and no one wanted to tell me. Then my mother spoke._

All right, I hear a heartbeat. Take a deep breath, calm down and tell me exactly how did you fall.

 _I froze but I was just observing her._

We were coming back to my apartment from the cafeteria. I didn't see that someone place some beams near the front door and I fall atop of them.

I scheduled our next appointment in the next week, but actually you are in the beginning of six month, so we can do an ultrasound right now. What do you think Jeanine?

Jeanine nodded saying, it is even better, since I won't be needed here in the next week. I have enough of this bunch of idiots….

So, let me see what we have here – my mother was continuing.

Do you want to know the gender – she asked again?

 _Tris was opening her mouth but Jeanine cut her off._

No, she doesn't have to know the gender of the fetus. We both know that Tris is only biological mother and she won't have any chance to raise a future child. Our department will do it.

 _Tris was having tears in her eyes. She was devastated and I felt guilty. Once again I couldn't say or do nothing to ease her pain. Then Four showed up. Jeanine must have seen my look, because she added:_

I asked him to come here, because he will accompany her to your apartment. We need to talk Eric.

 _As soon as Four, Amanda and Tris closed the door, Jeanine spoke._

How do you want to explain me, why you didn't accompany her from the cafeteria?

You asked me to provide her help. She wasn't alone there….

But you are responsible for her safety, we cannot lose both her and the fetus. I'm warning you Eric, it was the last time you screwed something connected with this case. The next time and you won't be a part of this project.

 _Saying that she left me and my mother in the infirmary. My mother was observing me. I knew that she was thinking about something._

Say it! I know that you want to say something so say it!

You were worried – she answered.

I beg your pardon?

You were worried Eric. I saw your face, when you came her. Maybe I wasn't the best mother on the Earth, but I know that look.

I think that you have a vivid imagination – I told her immediately.

I hope that it was only my vivid imagination. I know that you are living together. You share the same apartment. Who knows what else you share? I strongly believe, that you are not that stupid to care about this girl. She is the property of Erudite as well as her son…


	19. Chapter 19

Thank you all of you, who are still following my story. It's been a while, since my last update. I had some blockade, because I started thinking that this fanfic became a little bit boring. Although, I have a whole concept in my mind, I want to rebuild some plots and add new ones. I also need to create more chemistry between the main characters, which is a challenge and I really admire those who can do it…..

 **Chapter 19**

 _I am lying in my bed, having my eyes closed. I have no idea what is going on, but I feel that someone is circling rounds on my hairy chest. I opened my eyes and I saw her. She looked like an angel. She had blond, shoulder-length hair, rosy cheeks and red lips. Her eyes were flashing like a thunder. I looked beneath her face and I saw fully- rounded breasts…. I sat up. My personal space was limited by her presence. She was sitting on my laps, while I started to kiss her exposed chest. Then, I heard someone entered the room._

"It was you, who impregnated that bitch" – the voice in the darkness said.

 _In that moment, I felt a swollen belly clung to my own one. I looked at the entrance and I saw my mother, who was pointing a gun to Tris's back and pulling the trigger. I screamed and tried to shove Tris away, but instead of it, she turned around and the bullet hit in the middle of her stomach…._

 _Now, I am feeling someone's arm around me and a voice whispering in my ear._

"Hey, are you ok?"

 _I looked next to me and I saw Tris, who had that concerned look on her face._

"What happened" – I asked her.

"You were sweating and screaming out load. I think you had a nightmare"

 _Thanks God it was only a dream, I thought to myself._

"Can you tell me, what was your dream about" – Tris asked me.

"It's nothing to tell about. It was just a stupid dream".

She looked into my eyes saying "If you say so. But for your record, I was watching you, when you came back from the infirmary".

"I thought, you were sleeping".

"No, I was just pretending. I had no mood to talk about everything what happened to me. But frankly speaking, you looked way worse than I did. Apparently, something bothered you".

 _I didn't know what to say. Tris knows me better than I thought._

"How is your mood now? Do you want to talk? – I asked her a minute later.

 _Tris laid down again and turned her back._

"There is nothing to talk about. They proved me again that we are nothing more than lab rats. Besides, one night you promised to tell me your story. I am still waiting for it".

 _I immediately grabbed her arms and turned her around. We are facing each other. Her big, blue eyes are wide open and her cheeks are flushed. I cannot think about anything than how pretty she is. I am trying to say something, but it is really difficult to speak my mind. I have never been good at talking about myself or about my feelings, so I decided to do one thing I am great at. I pressed my body to her, take her face in my hands and start to kiss her. I wanted to tell her everything, but it was the only way I could do it. In the beginning, I didn't want to rush things. I was rubbing her lips and kissing them softly. Then I speeded up and made her to open her mouth a little bit. Then I could deepen my kiss and try to intensify it. In the same time, I placed my hands under her T-shirt and I started to caress her abdomen. That felt so good. I was afraid that I might move too far. However Tris didn't push me away. Unfortunately, we needed to take a breather, so we broke our kiss some seconds later. Tris has his forehead on my chest, while I have my hands still on her belly. I am happy, that she is still in one piece and she and the baby are safe in my arms._

"I wish I had known" – she whispered.

I looked at her asking "What you wanted to know?".

"The gender of our baby" – she answered.

I like that she referred it as "our baby" instead of "the baby" or "my baby" like she used to do it.

I smirked saying "Your wish is my command".

Tris looked really surprised and before she said something more, I had added "You are carrying a boy – our son".

 _The last thing I remember was her arms around me and her lips pressed against mine….._


End file.
